Fly High
by eromist
Summary: With a Colonel as a dad, Charlotte Gallagher decides to join the army with her friend. And, when her friend doesn't pass the medical, she finds herself joining Easy Company alone. -Another story. You're probably wondering if I have a life. Well, I do but not really. Outside of being a mother, this is what I do. Anyway, enjoy another story where an OC joins Easy-
1. Prologue

On September the 9th 1924, Charlotte Gallagher was born.

She was the only girl and had two older brothers, Stewart and John. Her older brothers were twins, born in September the 20th, 1919, to Christina and Alexander Gallagher. Their parents used to live in Dumfries and Galloway, where Alexander took over his father's farm after his passing. But soon enough, he changed careers when the Great War broke out and headed off to officer training school, which left Christina back in Dumfries, by herself.

With no other relatives, Christina soon moved into the city of Glasgow for a short period, before settling in Edinburgh. While her husband trained to be an officer, Christina worked in a linen factory. With not a lot of money, Christina was lucky to only have one mouth to feed, while her husband went off to fight in the war. The war started on the 28th of July 1914 and ended on the 11th of November 1918.

Being an officer in the war gave Alexander a decent paycheck. So, he kept a career in the army and moved Christina into a house, close to the training camp. After their twin boys were born, Alexander was already a Colonel. He was in charge of an entire Regiment and gave his sons and wife an enjoyable and comfortable life.

Charlotte was born in a comfortable cottage, surrounded by nothing but hills, streams, forests and grassy fields. She attended school in the village close by, while her two older brothers got ready for higher education back in Edinburgh. Charlotte was a bright and attentive student, who had a great interest in music, history and anything she could take apart and make with her hands. She loved to know how things worked. Her parents were both proud of their children. They were well-disciplined, respectful and bright.

Stewart and John both decided to follow their father's footsteps and joined the army soon after high school. They went to officer school, both became 2nd Lieutenants and joined their father's camp in the Scottish Borders. Charlotte was fourteen when Britain declared war on Germany after the Germans invaded Poland. Alexander had hundreds of young men to watch over, including his two sons, who were both Platoon leaders. It was then where Christina hugged her sons for the last time before they both headed for France.

That was the last they'd hear from Stewart and John.

For a very long time.

Alexander came back from the battle of France, with only half of the Division.

Christina was devastated. Knowing that she might never see her sons again, broke her heart. And she died quite suddenly, three weeks after. The death of Christina was a mystery. The doctors ended up labelling her death as a sudden heart attack. But Charlotte wasn't so sure. It was during this time when Alexander was honourably discharged from the army. With him, he had plenty of medals, ribbons and his Victoria Cross, from serving during the Great War. He was highly respected by the whole of the allied forces and had connections everywhere.

When Alexander moved back in, Charlotte was no longer alone.

And after spending one week inside the family home, Alexander decided to start fresh. He proposed the idea to Charlotte, he told her;

"America". He said, "we'd do well there".

So, the tiny family moved across the Atlantic and greeted America.

Alexander had friends in the States, and they stayed with a family in South Philadelphia for two months, before he found a lovely little house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Charlotte liked Lancaster. It was a charming town, with hard-working and kind people. Alexander enrolled his daughter into the local community college, where she found it challenging to fit in. But she did meet one young man in her class, who look a liking into Charlotte. And the pair of them quickly developed a friendship.

Harry Stevenson had lived in Lancaster all his life. And he wanted to be a vet. He loved animals, especially horses and spent his weekends at a farm, where he looked after the farmer's horses, goats and pigs. Soon enough, Charlotte was up at that farm with Harry, and she loved it. She loved being with the horses; she'd spend hours grooming them.

Harry would often tell Charlotte;

"you're good with horses. Maybe you should be a vet too".

Charlotte thought hard about being a vet that night.

It was winter, the month of Christmas.

And the next morning, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and America joined the war.

Harry planned to enlist after his nineteenth birthday.

Charlotte hated to see her only friend go.

"What about being a vet?" She wondered quietly.

Harry smiled, "well, I'll be a vet when we beat the Germans, Lottie".

She could appreciate his optimism.

Even if it was a little naive.

Charlotte and Harry were pretty opposite. He was outgoing, fun and active. Charlotte was quiet, reserved and shy. But they balanced each other out. When Harry reached too high up, Charlotte would gently pull him back down to reality.

They were sitting in Harry's room that afternoon; it was the day after Christmas. Alexander was out with some old friends from the army and left his daughter in the care of Harry's parents. She didn't mind, not at all. Mr and Mrs Stevenson were lovely and devoted Christians. They were popular in the town. They lived in house 420 south-west avenue. And they were very friendly with their neighbours. It was strange at first, moving to Lancaster for Alexander and Charlotte as the whole town attended church every Sunday and knew each other. They were a well-built community. But Alexander was a known figure in the army and the community took to him and his daughter well.

"Harry, Charlotte!" Mrs Stevenson called, "come down for a minute, please!"

Stubbing out their cigarettes, Harry and Charlotte tossed them out of the window before grabbing a stick of gum each. Making sure they didn't smell of smoke, they both left the room and rushed down the stairs. Only to be met with their next-door neighbour and her son.

"Look who's back, Harry". Mrs Stevenson gushed, "and doesn't Dick look handsome in his uniform – oh, Edith. You must be so proud".

The Winters were another well-respected family.

They were hard-working and did a lot for the community.

Richard and Edith Winters had two children. Dick and Ann.

But this was Charlotte's first encounter of the Winters.

Taking a step forward, Harry shook Winters hand;

"Good to see you again, Dick". He said, "how was Croft?"

"Yeah, good". He replied politely. "You still in college?"

Harry nodded, "sure am". He confirmed. "I work at Bill's farm now too".

"That's good, Harry". Winters replied, "you working hard?"

"You'd bet, Dick". Harry then grabbed onto Charlotte's arm and brought her forward, "this is my friend, Lottie. She's from Scotland and moved here nine months ago".

Charlotte gave the young man a shy sort of smile;

"hello". She whispered.

Winters smiled, "good to meet you, Lottie. Did you meet Harry at college?"

"Yeah, we did". Harry replied, "she works with me at Bill's now. We have a great old time, don't we Lottie? Hey, Dick. I'm 'gonna sign up after my nineteenth. Ain't that right, mom?"

Mrs Stevenson sighed, "well, your dad seems to think it would do you some good". She then added, "I'm not sure you're mature enough".

"I wouldn't worry, Mrs Stevenson". Winters assured her, "the army life is great for young men like Harry".

"Dick has been training a Platoon of men". Edith bragged, and rightly so, "his Sargent wanted Dick and his friend to stay behind and train the new boys coming in".

"That's very impressive, Dick". Mrs Stevenson said, "how are you liking the extra responsibility?"

Winters nodded, "it suits me fine, Mrs Stevenson".

Edith then looked down at Charlotte, and she smiled;

"so, Lottie". She said, "you're from Scotland?"

She nodded, "yes, Mrs Winters".

"And did you move here with your family?"

"My dad, Mrs Winters-"

"her dad is Colonel Gallagher". Harry pointed out, "he's with some other high-ranking officers, celebrating the holidays. So, Lottie stayed with us".

Winters looked at Charlotte, "Colonel Gallagher?" He questioned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Retired". Charlotte told him softly, "he was honourably discharged after the battle of France".

"He fought during the Great War, did he not?" Winters continued to ask, "my Sargent spoke of him once. He's highly respected".

Mrs Stevenson placed a hand on Charlotte's shoulder;

"would you all like some coffee and muffins? I baked them this morning with Lottie".

Edith smiled, "sounds lovely, Maggie".

When Harry's older brother returned from work a few minutes later, Dick Winters greeted his old high school friend. And of course, Derek was impressed with Winters uniform and new military life. But Derek had no desire to fight; he wanted to remain working in the hospital, whereas Harry was gun-ho and craved the action. So, the conversation was entertaining during their coffee and muffins. Derek spoke about the hospital; Harry went on about guns. And Winters tended to keep quiet, much like Charlotte.

Charlotte and Harry didn't see Winters again for a while after that.

Apparently, he had graduated from Officer Candidate School and was now a 2nd Lieutenant. It was around that time, where Harry had formed up an idea. He had seen a poster about this army branch called the Paratroopers. And he was drawn in from the get-go. Harry wanted to be apart of the best and fight alongside the best. He craved the action and jumping behind enemy lines, was a perfect match for Harry.

Charlotte wanted to go with him.

Alexander Gallagher wasn't impressed;

"Lottie, you haven't finished college".

He didn't mention the obvious. That women weren't allowed to fight. Or that it would have been impossible for Charlotte to join a combat role in the army. And it had crossed Charlotte's mind, but she was sure, her father could get her in.

"Your brothers have been taken from us". Alexander whispered, "they're prisoners of war, and you want to leave me too?"

"I don't want to". Charlotte mumbled, "but…I think I have to".

If it weren't for Alexander, Charlotte would never have been allowed to join.

But she passed the medical examination, and she signed up for the Paratroopers in July.

Unfortunately, Harry didn't pass the medical. His eyesight was terrible, and he was declared "unfit for service" due to his asthma. Charlotte wanted to quit when she found out her friend wasn't allowed to join, but Alexander wouldn't let that happen. So, she was bound for training and had to wait for her call-up date.

"It wasn't even your idea". Harry mumbled.

They were both at the farm on the weekend.

Charlotte was grooming one of the horses, while Harry filled up the hay nets.

"This is shit, Lottie".

Frowning, Charlotte remained quiet and continued to brush the horse.

It was the last weekend she'd spend with Harry on the farm. In fact, Harry stopped talking to her altogether. Mrs Stevenson felt terrible for her son and Charlotte. And she tried to encourage Harry to be Charlotte's friend again, but Charlotte was rejected every time. So, she gave up and focused on her call-up date.

Just weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Charlotte's call-up date arrived.

She'd get the train and head into Georgia on the twenty-seventh of August.

Charlotte was to join the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sink. A West Point Class Graduate of 1927. Alexander didn't know Sink personally, but he had heard a lot of good things about him from a mutual friend, Bill Lee. Who was the commander of the U.S Army's jump school at Fort Benning, Georgia. And in August, he was promoted to the two-star rank of Major General, becoming the first Commanding General of the newly formed 101st Airborne Division.

Charlotte had never met General Lee.

But her father spoke highly of him and everything he had done for the Airborne Infantry. It was a brand-new way of fighting for the Americans, and Alexander could see the Paratroopers doing well. The 506th was different; they were to train together, earn their jump wings together and then head off into combat together whereas many men were split up and sent where they were needed. The 506th would remain together throughout the war.

Charlotte was nervous.

Alexander was nervous. But he was also very proud of his daughter. And perhaps sad to see her go, as all of his children were now following in his footsteps. And he didn't think his heart could take losing the only family he had left. But Alexander wouldn't stand in his daughters' way. If she wanted to fight, then he would do all he could to make that happen even if the risks of losing her were very high.

So, in late August, Alexander waved goodbye to his daughter and watched her board the train to camp Toombs, Georgia.


	2. Chapter 1

Arriving with hundreds of hopeful Paratroopers, Charlotte was met with the muddy and clay grounds of camp Toombs. It was still going under construction; the barracks hadn't been built yet, and the enlisted men were sorted into green tents. Charlotte wasn't used to such conditions; she had a great upbringing, and her parents were never in a position where they struggled with money. So, it was a good shock when Charlotte stepped into the camp.

Reaching Post Exchange, they were given their uniforms, boots and a haircut.

Alexander already had someone cut her hair short, so she wouldn't get such a fright when it was all chopped off. The man inside Post Exchanged cut off any loose ends and sent her on her way. Leaving the barrack, Charlotte rejoined the men outside. There, a Sargent ordered for them to head into Cow Company until they were processed and sorted out into a Company and Battalion.

Charlotte entered a tent with five other men.

She kept to herself, while the men talked, smoked and played cards.

The green tent didn't offer them much protection from the constant rain outside. With the green flap blowing with the wind, rain spewed inside and almost flooded the muddy grounds. The small camp beds sunk into the mud and with the red clay mixing in, it created a sinking mess below them.

Camp Toombs was very large, and a huge and intimidating mountain loomed over it. They had made a little strip between the tents, by placing strips of wood to create a path. But the planks of wood were highly unstable and unbalanced against the slippery mud. Charlotte found it easier just walking through the mud. At the foot of the giant mountain, sat a forest. It looked dark and overgrown, with many thick and tall trees. But the camp itself was made up of assault courses, fields, barracks and barracks which were being constructed for the enlisted men. They didn't have any electricity either, the only source of power came from the latrines.

It was like taking a step back into time.

Charlotte wondered if she'd even make it through the night.

She had never been camping before and wasn't a massive fan of the outdoors, not until she met Harry. Charlotte much preferred a quiet room, where she could practice her music and study. This was a shock to the system and Charlotte wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to it. She had lived a pretty normal life before her mother's tragic end.

The men inside the tent weren't stupid. They knew Charlotte was female. She had a very fair and pretty face. Nothing drop-dead gorgeous but enough for them to gather, that she was in fact, female. Which of course, the men were interested in and maybe a little angry at. Which was why Charlotte stayed quiet, knowing these men were staring at her every now and then.

"Army have lost their fucking minds".

She heard one of them mutter.

"She won't last". Another added, "a broad can't do this, don't worry".

Charlotte didn't meet any friends on her first day in Toombs.

No one spoke to her, and she ate far away from the men in the mess hall for supper. The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Charlotte didn't have much of an appetite but tried her best to clear some of her plate.

After an uncomfortable and quiet night, on Charlotte's behalf, the men were sorted into a Battalion and Company. A tall man with dark hair, small eyes and a long nose had over one hundred men before him, including Charlotte. This was Lieutenant Sobel, their new Commanding Officer. She had been placed into Easy Company, one of four Companies, which made up 2nd Battalion. Easy would be split up into three Platoons. Charlotte was sorted into 2nd Platoon.

And her mouth fell open when she saw who was leading her Platoon.

Dick Winters.

When his eyes scanned his men, Charlotte lowered her head.

"Heads up!" Winters shouted to his thirty-four men. "Fall into my left, tallest to smallest!"

It took a few minutes, but the men soon organised themselves in that order.

Of course, Charlotte was right at the back.

Winters worked his way down the line, with his assistant Platoon leader at the front.

He began to assign them as Sargent's and Corporals, which would only last a few days. Time and training would show who among these men, deserved to wear the stripes.

Charlotte lowered her eyes when Winters reached her.

But he didn't seem to take any notice. And soon, divided the Platoon into four squads, giving them three rifle squads and a six-man mortar squad. Charlotte was in a rifle squad, 1st squad. She didn't catch the names of the men in the same squad as her.

And then, came their first-ever order from Sobel;

"change into your trunks and boots! We're running up Currahee!"

Of course, no one knew what Currahee was.

Charlotte changed, with her back towards the men. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but thankfully, the squad didn't take any notice and were too wrapped up in their own thoughts.

It turned out, the mountain looming over the camp was Currahee.

And she stared up at that mountain, with a stomach full of dread.

Charlotte was utterly green; she wasn't an overly active person. The last time she had run was years ago when an older kid teased her back in Scotland. This run wasn't going to be her best, and she'd probably struggle after a few minutes because her adrenaline was racing, and she was already working up a sweat.

Charlotte jogged for the first mile up the steep and uneven terrain.

Some men ran right passed her, while others breathed heavily and stopped for a second. Charlotte wanted to stop, but she then noticed Sobel, who would yell at them.

"Keep moving!" He screamed, "keep moving, Goddammit!"

She didn't want to get shouted at, not on her first-ever day. The men behind her hung their heads for a moment, before picking themselves back up and quickening their pace. At that time, Charlotte had quickened her pace. She wasn't going extremely fast, not like the athletic men before her, but she was somewhere in the middle now, hiding between exhausted men.

It was the best place to be, lodged into the middle.

Sobel didn't single her out, and she could maintain the pace these men were going. It was somewhere between a jog and a run. And because Charlotte hadn't run off and went for it during that first mile, she managed to reach the top of Currahee, which was three miles in total.

One man actually vomited, while running down the hill.

He coughed and said;

"my chest is fucking tight".

And the another told him;

"quit complaining. Sobel will be in your face if he hears you".

The man who had told the complaining man off was in her Platoon, she recognised him. And he seemed to know what he was on about. Charlotte took a mental note and decided to take his advice and to carry it with her, throughout training.

Running down the mountain, proved to be just as hard.

Charlotte's chest did tighten, her legs and lungs burned twice as hard as running up. And the boots which had been handed to her yesterday felt too loose. She could feel her skin rub against the leather and blisters start to form. Charlotte had never injured herself for the sake of getting something done correctly. She had never worked so hard that she had harmed a part of her body. The only thing that came the tiniest bit close was working with those horses. But even then, that couldn't compare to running up Currahee.

It was tough, sore and exhausting.

Charlotte ran for six miles without knowing how. It was the first time in her life; she had run for that long and, it was the first time she had ran up a mountain. As an indoor sort of female, it was a high achievement. Her father wouldn't even believe it. And neither could Charlotte.

Hands-on her hips and breathing heavily, Charlotte waited with other men, while the rest joined them at the bottom of Currahee. Sobel wasn't impressed and demanded a better time tomorrow morning, or else people would be leaving his Company. And after that gruelling run, they were sent off for breakfast in the mess hall.

Charlotte wasn't interested in eating right away, while she gulped down large mouthfuls of water and orange juice. It was thirsty work, running for six miles. She sat at the end of a bench, while other men sat around her. This was when they started to talk about Sobel and their Platoon leaders. Lieutenant's Winters and Nixon were the 2nd Platoon leaders. Matheson and Lavenson were 1st Platoon while Heyliger and Moore led 3rd Platoon.

She learned that the young man who gave Charlotte advice without knowing it, was Bill Guarnere, a nineteen-year-old from South Philadelphia. But she could already tell he was from there; his accent was thick, and she was familiar with it. Guarnere seemed to be friendly, approachable and helpful. He talked to the men around them, while they told Guarnere about where they grew up and why they decided to volunteer for the Paratroopers. A lot of men were in it for the money, the glory or to fight alongside the best of the best.

Charlotte learned a lot, just from listening.

Joe Toye, who was in her squad, was from Hughestown, Pennsylvania. His parents were Irish, and Toye had worked in a coal mine before enlisting. Toye was tall, muscular and looked like the type of man no one would mess with. But his eyes would light up, and his face softened when he smiled, making him look years younger. And sitting next to Toye was James Campbell, who was born in Lawrence County, Illinois. He had an older brother and sister. Campbell was two years older than Charlotte, making him twenty. And then there was Eddie Joint, a fun and humorous young man, who seemed easy going and friendly.

The men in Easy, all seemed fine.

Charlotte could see a lot of her brothers inside these men.

And just as she was about to eat a spoonful of stew, someone sat down next to her.

He let out a sigh, picked up his fork and dug in.

Charlotte watched him for a few moments before he turned to her and smiled;

"Elmer Murray, call me Moe".

He stuck out his hand for her to shake.

After neatly setting her fork down, Charlotte shook his hand.

"Charlotte Gallagher. Call me, Lottie".

Moe then said;

"oh, I know who you are. Lieutenant Winters told me to see you".

A tiny blush appeared on her face.

Charlotte let go of his hand and picked up her fork again.

Moe grinned, "yeah…he mentioned a broad was here with us. I had no idea".

He then shrugged;

"my wife would hate me if I wasn't being nice to you". He said, "Nancy, she's always setting me straight".

"Wife?" Charlotte inquired softly.

Moe nodded, "oh, yeah". He said, "I'm a married man, Lottie".

"I didn't think…that was allowed". She mumbled quietly.

He shrugged, "well, I didn't think girls could join either, kid. But here you are".

A tiny smile reached her lips.

Charlotte looked back down at her meal and continued to eat.

The mess hall was loud and rowdy. All the young men were talking over each other, mainly speaking of their first day in Toombs. The men of Easy were focused on their first run up Currahee, and a few were planning to run up it on Sunday, their day off. Charlotte didn't think that was a bad idea. She could have used the practice as well.

"So, Lottie". Moe said, "when did you move to the States?"

"Last year". She replied softly, "Lancaster, Pennsylvania".

"You like it here?"

Nodding, Charlotte ate another bite from her stew.

"Yeah, it's fine". She murmured. "People are friendly enough".

"Your family move over here for work?" Moe asked her curiously.

Chewing slowly on the chunks of meat, Charlotte shook her head.

"No". She responded quietly, after swallowing the food in her mouth. "My dad retired and wanted a fresh start. So, we moved over to America".

"Fair enough". Moe replied lightly, "did you go to college?"

"For a bit". Charlotte's lips twitched, "did you?"

"I got a job working with planes". Moe stated, with a smirk. "Sort of funny now, huh?"

Smiling a little more now, she nodded;

"yeah, a bit". Charlotte then asked, "where are you from?"

"Iowa". Moe replied, "moved to Los Angeles for work. It's where I met Nancy, my city girl".

"I should have been brought up in the city". Charlotte said, with a tiny snort, "I'm not much of an outdoors person".

He chuckled, "really? Man, you picked the wrong job, kid".

She let out a little laugh, "you're probably right".

Moe frowned, "so, why are you here, Lottie?"

Charlotte looked at him, "well, my friend wanted to join and…I guess I wanted to go with him".

"Is he here?"

"No, he didn't pass the medical".

Moe huffed, "so, what? You decided to stick with it?"

Charlotte chewed on her lip, thoughtfully for a few moments.

"No". She replied, honestly. "I wanted to quit, but my dad…he told me not to".

"That's strange". Moe admitted, "I figured your dad would have been trying to change your mind".

Sighing quietly, Charlotte shook her head;

"he's a war veteran". She said softly, "he wouldn't want me just to give it up".

"Great War?" Moe wondered, "I've met a few Great War vets. They're respectful guys".

"Dad is". Charlotte agreed, "but…he doesn't talk much about it".

"No, they never do". Moe said through a sigh, "wonder if we'll be like them one day".

Looking back at her bowl of stew, Charlotte's eyes gazed into the watery gravy.

Suddenly feeling slightly sickened by the sight, she put her fork down.

"Yeah, maybe". Charlotte mumbled, replying to what Moe had said.

"Your dad get you in?" Moe asked her.

She nodded, "yeah…I guess it depended on who he knew when it came to me".

He smiled, "well, your dad obviously thinks you'll manage…even if you are a city girl".

"Maybe". Charlotte mumbled, "but…I think he wants me to toughen up".

Moe raised an amused eyebrow, "yeah?"

She nodded, "I'm too soft". Charlotte said to him, "yesterday was my first-time camping".

He chuckled, "well, what did you think of it?"

A smile lifted her face, "bad".

He continued to chuckle, "hate to tell you this, Lottie but…it might get worse".

Moe then asked;

"your dad never took you camping?"

Charlotte shook her head, "he was too busy with work and mum didn't like camping". She told him, "said it wasn't nice sleeping on the floor".

Moe shrugged, "well, you tell her it's alright".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte bit down on her lip.

"Actually…she sort of died".

Moe frowned, "oh, I'm sorry, kid". He said, "me and my big mouth, huh?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte gave him a tiny smile;

"it's alright, Moe. I miss her sometimes but…I've got dad".

Charlotte then added;

"he's a great man".

Moe gave her a soft smile, "I'm sure he is, Lottie".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte asked about his family and where he grew up.

"Plenty of fields in Iowa". He told her, "I was a country boy. And believe me, moving into the city was the biggest shock of my life, kid. I ain't ever seen so many damn cars – and people. Christ, you'd think everyone in America lived in LA".

Charlotte smiled a little while she listened.

"But there was Nancy". Moe said, voice softening. "The most beautiful girl I had ever seen".

Moe continued to say, in a soft voice;

"just stood out from all those people in LA, like this bright light. And I knew, I was 'gonna fall in love with her, cause she smiled at me. And I was grinning back like two fishhooks were pulling at the corners of my mouth". Moe laughed, "I probably looked like an idiot. But…man, Nancy looked so beautiful that day".

He liked to talk about Nancy.

Charlotte thought it was nice. But she couldn't relate. She hadn't been in love before, and a man had never made her feel like that before. Charlotte wondered if someone would ever give her a fishhook smile, where her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"Mum and dad were like that". She told him softly, "like…really in love and smiling all the time".

Moe smiled, "it's great, Lottie".

Having Moe by her side, gave Charlotte a kick of confidence. They were in the same squad and, when they walked back into the tent, Moe had no trouble introducing himself to the other squad members inside the tent. So far, they had Moe, Toye, Jim Campbell, Rob Bloser, J.B Stokes, George Potter and Charlotte. The seven of them made up 1st squad, one of three rifle squads in 2nd Platoon.

The men from 1st squad were talkative, friendly and easy-going.

They were wary of Charlotte but never showed any signs of acting mean towards her. For the first ten or so minutes, they were all interested in getting to know everyone in their squad. J.B Stokes was from Texas. He had five siblings and worked hard outside. J.B Stokes was a country boy, born and raised beside mountains, caves and rivers.

James (Jim) Campbell was born in Lawrence County, Illinois. And, much like in the mess hall, Jim was reluctant to share much else about his life. But he did mention that his Aunt and Uncle raised him, from the age of seven.

Robert Bloser was born in Harrisburg, Dauphin Country in Pennsylvania. Bloser had three siblings, all older than him. So, like Charlotte, he was the baby of the family. And was treated as such. Bloser could get away with anything but tended to act respectful towards his parents, Helen and Jay.

Born in Fort Benning, Chattahoochee Georgia was George Lawrence Potter. He was from a small family, with just one younger sibling. George was very smiley, happy and charismatic. And even Charlotte had to admit that George had an extremely handsome smile. He seemed to get along with everyone in the squad. Especially J.B Stokes and Toye.

But they didn't spend a lot of time getting to know each other, before their acting Platoon Sargent, James Diel, rounded everyone up outside. It was there where they were each given an M1 Garand rifle. But before they could fire the weapon, they'd have to undergo intense lectures on weapons. Sobel ordered them to always keep their rifles by their sides, at all times. Even when they slept, some men gave their rifles names. As their rifles were their new girlfriends and they had to know their rifle inside and out and learn all about the weapon.

So, with their Platoon leaders showing them, the men of Easy were taught out to take the rifle apart and build it back up again. It was an order, which they'd have to do at least twenty times a day. And as dull as it sounded, it was the best way to learn about the rifle. So, the men sat on the muddy grass and tried to take their rifle apart.

Charlotte had never handled it gun. Her dad had guns, but she never touched them. But she enjoyed learning about the different parts of the rifle and what they were used for. Charlotte took notes in her notepad, with a newly sharpened pencil and paid close attention to Winters and Nixon, who were showing the recruits how it was done. It was almost like being back in school again, excluding the firing weapon.

For her first try at taking the rifle apart, Charlotte took her time and noted down every part she could name, from what her Platoon leaders had taught them. She was slow, careful and quiet. The men around her were concentrating hard, but for those who were used to rifles and guns, they were quick and effective.

Charlotte's eyes wandered towards J.B Stokes, who was one of the quicker ones at taking apart his rifle. He was used to guns; he was a country boy and would hunt. She observed his hands, noting what he took apart first and what came last.

Laying her M1 on its side, with the muzzle facing towards the right, Charlotte first checked that the bolt was sealed with the safety on. Grabbing the trigger guard, she pulled it towards the butt plate and unhooked the trigger guard latch, allowing the trigger guard to pivot forward. Once the trigger guard was unlatched, she rotated the guard until it was fully open.

Charlotte then pulled the trigger assembly straight out of the rifle. Lowering her rear sight, she then moved her rifle, so that the trigger assembly well was facing up. With her right hand, she held onto the rifle at the front of the handguard forward of the swing swivel. Using the palm of her left hand, she lifted up the stock left of the trigger. The stock pivoted from the lower band and came free from the receiver. Though, because the stock was such a tight fit, she had to physically pull the receiver out from the stock.

Pinching forward the Rod with her thumb and index finger, with a firm hold, Charlotte pulled the follower Rod back toward the muzzle compressing the op-rod string and disconnecting the forks from the follower arm. When the forks were free, she lifted up on the follower Rod and removed it and the op-rod string. Using a small screwdriver, Charlotte pushed out the follower arm pin.

With the pin removed, she pulled out the op-rod catch. Then she removed the two notches in the receiver towards the muzzle, along with the follower arm. Reaching into the receiver, Charlotte removed the follower assembly.

For almost an hour, Charlotte was in a world of her own, while she stripped down her rifle. There were a lot of steps to follow, and once her gun was unrecognisable, Winters said;

"To reassemble your rifle, follow the steps in reverse".

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte sighed quietly and looked down at her rifle.

This was going to take another hour.

**…**

Lieutenant Winters led callisthenics.

And it was everything Charlotte struggled with.

The men knew what they were doing when Winters told them to get into a;

"push up position!"

Charlotte had to watch the men in order to know what to do.

It was very uncomfortable and sore. She had to push herself down and then pull herself back up, using the muscles in her arms, her chest and shoulders. It was a very difficult upper body training exercise, and Charlotte quickly learned that she lacked upper body strength.

Winters had them doing as many push-ups as they could do, for the first round.

Charlotte wasn't a skinny girl. She was short and stumpy. Her dad often said she was short and sturdy. And she may have looked born for the army life, because of her body shape but Charlotte wasn't strong, she just looked strong. She didn't think much about her figure; she had more important things to worry about than how others saw her. Charlotte had always thought the brain was the most beautiful part of the human body. So, she tried her best to fill it with as much knowledge as she could.

Five push-ups later and her arms started to shake.

Moe, who was next to her, was already on twelve.

Charlotte had been counting his push-ups while trying to reach ten. If she got to ten, then another ten couldn't be so bad, surely. But God, just getting passed six, was a struggle for Charlotte. She could feel the sweat pouring down her face and dripping onto the muddy grass below her, and her whole body trembled with the effort.

But it only got worse for Charlotte.

Pull-ups were next, and they were murder.

Jumping up and grabbing onto a thick plank of wood, Winters had ordered them to pull themselves up, bringing their heads over the bar. Charlotte could only manage to pull herself up, just slightly on that first attempt. While other men managed five and the athletes of the Company did so many, that Charlotte stopped counting out of shame, that she couldn't even manage one.

Burpees weren't so great either. It was a combination of push-ups, jumping and squatting. Which was a great workout but very sore on her unused muscles. Charlotte refused to stop, however, because she had failed with the other exercises. She almost found running easier than using her upper body.

However, after PT, they ran through the assault course.

It was huge and ran up and down a hill.

They had to scale high walls, climb up ropes, nets and cross over deep and muddy water. The course was intimidating, and Charlotte was scared. She knew she'd never complete it all. It looked almost impossible to sail through this course with ease. However, the men around her appeared excited and eager to test it out. And on Sobel's whistle, everyone raced to start the course.

Running with her Platoon after 1st Platoon led the way, Charlotte stayed near the middle of the men. The first part was easy enough, just tunnels, nothing she couldn't handle. But it dramatically changed, when she was faced with tall and frightening monkey bars, which towered above the deep and muddy water. Of course, it wasn't very deep; Charlotte only assumed so because she couldn't see the bottom.

She watched, while Toye and Bloser leapt up and grabbed onto those bars with ease.

And Charlotte could already feel her embarrassment creeping in, while she jumped up and grabbed onto the slippery and sweaty metal bars. Not looking down, Charlotte's eyes followed Moe, who was in front of her. Around her, she could hear men grunt, while one hand reached the next bar. And all too soon, someone missed the bar and fell into the water. That happened when Charlotte was halfway across, and she almost lost it. But just knowing what was down there, was enough for her to make it across.

Jumping down, she followed the men towards their next obstacle.

It was a jungle gym, made up of ropes. And the gym hung above a significant drop, with no safety net underneath, or water for a soft landing. It gave Charlotte a kick of nerves, and she ended up taking a step back, bumping into the man behind her.

"Jesus!" Guarnere exclaimed, "come on, move!"

Inwardly groaning, Charlotte started to climb up that first rope.

From there, it was a battle of nerves, while she used the rope to steady her across the significant drop below her. And when she reached the end, Charlotte took her time in the descent back to safety, but of course, it only got worse from there.

A ten-foot wall is what glared before her next, once she ran down the hill and jumped over a stream, or whatever obstacle lay in front of her. By this point, Charlotte's feet were under a lot of stress and pain. And the thought of scaling a ten-foot wall almost sent her to her knees. Men took a running start and leapt up to grab the top. The taller men had no problem. And, with only being five-foot-two, Charlotte could see herself struggling with this wall.

So, she had to use her brain and think of a way to scale the wall.

Spotting a beam on the side of the wall, which was used to keep it upright, Charlotte jogged towards that and stepped onto it. Grabbing onto the side of the wall, she pushed herself up and had to use a lot of upper body strength, to eventually reach the top. It was a great achievement for Charlotte, who could never have imagined she'd ever accomplish that. But her victory didn't last long, for Diel soon yelled for her too;

"get the hell down!"

The next wall made the ten-foot wall, look like a pea.

It was giant, more prominent than a two-story house. To climb up, they had to use the net and keep their footing secure, or else they'd fall. Charlotte was scared, all over again. But she knew this was the last obstacle to complete in the assault course. And that gave her enough enthusiasm to start climbing.

The net was sturdy, and Charlotte could trust it, to hold their weight.

But once at the top, they had to use the net on the other side, to scale down.

"You look pale, Lottie". Moe observed, with a smirk, "not a fan of heights?"

Charlotte looked away from the drop and shrugged;

"never really been this high before, Moe".

"You'll be alright". He assured her, "just follow me".

After the assault course, which rightfully earned the name "assault", for Charlotte did, in fact, feel, beat-up, Easy was dismissed for lunch in the mess hall.

Charlotte was ready for something to eat this time. And, like the men around her, she greedily stuffed the food into her mouth, forgetting all manners. Her dad wouldn't have been impressed, and her mum was probably rolling over in her grave, but Charlotte was starving and wanted to eat as quickly as possible before they were called out for drills.

Not knowing exactly what she was eating, Charlotte finished her meal with water.

And, by the time the men had finished eating, they were ordered back outside.

Going over drills with Sobel was horrible.

If one person messed up, Sobel would address this to the rest of the Company, making sure to embarrass that victim as much as he possibly could. In just two hours, Sobel had them standing at attention, saluting properly and standing at ease. The reason it took two hours to get two commands right, was Sobel's high expectation for perfection on their first official day.

"Attention!" He'd scream.

And then, minutes later;

"at ease!"

Sobel would scan his men;

"attention!"

His voice was breaking after two hours of constant screaming.

Charlotte didn't know how that was possible. She couldn't have screamed for two hours straight; she couldn't even scream for over a minute. And she could already see a difference between Sobel and the other officers of Easy. Sobel screamed; the other officers only had to bark out a firm order. The officers didn't raise their voice, not how their Company Commander did, anyway.

And being around a screaming man for two hours could have driven them insane.

Charlotte would rather scale that high wall again than endure another minute of his screaming and belittling the men. She could understand how vital drills were but being screamed at, didn't make Charlotte focus any better. And by the end of drills, she had a headache.

Sobel was good at physically training his men, that became apparent.

For at the end of the day, every man was exhausted.

Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed and pulled off her boots.

Her feet were red raw, and blisters were forming. But she wasn't the only man to suffer from injury that evening, Bloser had been banged up pretty good. His knees were swollen, and his feet also ached.

"Aten-hut!"

Soon, everyone was on their feet and standing at attention.

Lieutenant Winters walked into his squads' tent.

"At ease". He ordered them.

Once the men were standing at ease, Winters began to talk;

"well, good try for your first day. Tomorrow will be better. Get a good rest tonight. You've all earned it".

His voice was stiff firm but also kind.

Much like how Charlotte remembered it to be when she met him.

"Yes, sir!"

Surprisingly, they all answered at the same time.

Winters lips twitched, "goodnight".

Sitting back down on her camp bed, Charlotte took a look at her feet.

"Looks sore". Bloser pointed out, "my knees killing me".

Charlotte looked over at his knees and noticed the swelling.

She winced, "that looks sore too".

He shrugged, "it'll be better tomorrow, huh?"

Bloser then snorted, with a smirk.

Charlotte smiled a little, "do you think?"

"Maybe". He said, "how do you think you did?"

Sighing, she shook her head;

"not great". Charlotte mumbled.

"You'll get the hang of it". He commented softly, "I mean, it's fucking tough, Lottie. I struggled a lot, you know?"

"You made it look easy". She said quietly.

Bloser smiled, "Hey, thanks, Lottie".

Taking off her cap, Charlotte put it to the side and ran a hand, threw her short hair. It was still strange, not having her long and red curls. Charlotte didn't miss her hair; it was just different from having short hair now.

"My sister would have bayonetted a guy who was 'gonna cut all her hair off". Bloser told Charlotte, with a grin.

And she ended up laughing quietly;

"well…I got it cut before I left". She said, "dad didn't want me to get sad or that when they cut it here".

"He had the right idea". He pointed out, "your dads smart".

"He is". Charlotte agreed lightly, "he – eh – he's good".

Bloser sighed and looked down at his knees;

"right now, I wonder what the hell I'm doing here".

Charlotte cleared her throat, "same but…we'll get good at it".

He smiled again and lifted his head, "our Lieutenant ain't so bad, huh?"

"Yeah, he seems nice".

"Better than Sobel". Bloser mumbled.

A tiny smile reached her lips, "yeah…he screams loads, eh?"

"He does". He confirmed, "more than a damn baby".

Toye, who was the last to enter the tent, closed the flaps.

It wasn't raining, and the weather was muggy and hot. Inside the tent, mosquitoes ate away at their skin, Charlotte slapped her neck silly from the bugs. She had never seen anything so large and annoying, flying towards her.

"You'll get used to that". J.B commented, "them mosquitoes get real big out here".

Charlotte brought out her notebook and studied the parts of her rifle.

While the other men smoked and played a game of cards.

But the quiet murmurs from the men, made her feel sleepy. Charlotte yawned into her hand, eyes growing heavy. She pulled out a cigarette, hoping that would keep her awake. After lighting it up, Charlotte looked back down at her notes.

Learning all the parts of her rifle was going to take a few days of hard studying. But she liked to know the ins and outs of how something worked, so, Charlotte found it very interesting. Though, the letters started to blur a little, when her eyes slipped shut. Shaking her head, she finished off her cigarette, stubbed it out and put her things away.

Getting under the green blanket, Charlotte rolled onto her side, facing the other end of the tent. The men behind her continued to talk in low and quiet voices. And just as she felt her eyes start to slip shut, someone asked her;

"what about you, Lottie? Did you have folks fighting in the Boer war?"

Rubbing her eyes again, Charlotte turned around and sat up.

"Yeah". She said quietly, "my grandad, his brothers and their dad".

"All three of them?" Toye asked her, "Is that why you're here?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I don't think so". She whispered, "but…maybe, I'm not sure yet".

"You ever meet any of them?" J.B questioned.

"No". Charlotte replied, "it's just me and dad".

Moe gave her a little smile;

"you turning in, Lottie?"

"Yeah but…you's don't have to be quiet or that, it's alright". Charlotte softly stressed, not wanting to give the men the impression that if she was going to sleep, then they all had to be quiet. "I could sleep through another war".

Some of them chuckled at that.

"She's got a point". Campbell agreed, "I ain't had a workout like that in months".

"Months?" Bloser huffed, "try forever, man. That was fucking intense".

"I had a thought, right". Potter announced, "in the Great War, everyone went around in horses. Are we 'gonna be riding horses this time around?"

Rolling his eyes, Toye sighed;

"of course, not". He muttered, "we got trucks and tanks".

Potter shrugged, "was just a thought". He said, "I don't 'wanna see those animals suffer".

The men quietly discussed horses and vehicles used in the war now. During this time, Charlotte lay back down, rolled onto her side and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, with the men murmuring in the background, to lull her off.


	3. Chapter 2

For the most part, Charlotte kept her head down and stayed out of Sobel's way.

She tried her hardest to keep up with the men, who were somewhere in the middle. Charlotte found that staying in the middle, kept her away from Sobel. That man was more interested in the men in front and the ones right at the back. So, Charlotte was average. She did what was asked of her, tried her best and got stuck into the next exercise.

This strategy worked.

At the beginning of September, more men joined Easy. It was just three days before Charlotte's birthday when she met Donald Malarkey, who was placed into the mortar squad. Malarkey became good friends with Muck, or Skip, as he went by. Alex Penkala was another man to befriend the two pals, who were also in the mortar squad. Guarnere, Brad Freeman and Ed Sabo also made up the 2nd Platoon mortar squad.

Malarkey was experiencing firsthand, just how mean Sobel could be during inspection. The man was never happy; no one did anything right. A lot of men dropped out of camp, and Colonel Sink soon changed the name from Toombs to Toccoa. The men who dropped out were sent to Cow Company before they were transferred to regular infantry. No one wanted to wash-out, the men trained hard and pushed themselves, even when their bodies wanted to give up.

They were exhausted.

And, every Friday, Sobel had his men complete a forced march, adding five miles every week. They weren't allowed to drink water during this march and had to fill up their canteens before the march, so Sobel could inspect the fullness of the water when they got back. A few men fell asleep while walking during those marches.

Sobel punished his men for the smallest thing. And if he couldn't find an infraction, he'd make one up. The man would take away weekend passes, officers included. Or, he'd make the men dig holes and then order them to be filled up after. But Sobel would also just scream at his men. He'd tell them how weak, useless and worthless they were. And how they didn't belong in his Company. Its why Charlotte kept her head down and avoided Sobel at all costs.

He would eat her alive.

The men got a break from Sobel during the day while they ate and attended lectures. An old Army Sargent or a Platoon leader would lecture the men. Charlotte liked the lectures; she loved reading and studying and being inside, especially when it rained. She used to appreciate being inside a barrack instead of a tent, but the barracks were soon up and running for the enlisted men. Charlotte and 1st squad, found themselves sharing the mortar squad.

Sharing with the mortar squad was great.

Malarkey and Muck would have the radio on.

And there was always a game of craps or cards going. The men loved to gamble. Even Charlotte took part in playing cards. According to Malarkey, she had a good poker face. But according to Moe, she always looked like that. The best part about those game of cards was having the radio playing quietly in the background. Malarkey would let Charlotte find some classical music, once Glenn Miller stopped playing, that is. Malarkey loved his big band music. A lot of men in Easy, loved music. Christenson and Swosko could both play guitar and piano. While Malarkey, Dukeman and Hoobler were good singers. There was a lot of hidden talent in Easy Company. Not only could Christenson play musical instruments, but he was a good drawer too. Shifty from 3rd, had the best shot in the entire Company. He could have shot a fly. That talent became apparent when they got to fire their rifles for the first time.

Of course, Charlotte would need to work on her aim, but because she had studied her rifle so much, she was comfortable with the weapon and knew all the ins and outs, thanks to constantly taking it apart and rebuilding it again. The men spent a lot of time cleaning their guns. They had to; Sobel liked to do inspections a lot during the week. Every Friday evening, the men would spend hours after their night march, cleaning their things and pressing their uniforms. Sobel would issue out an inspection on Saturday, where he took away the men's weekend passes.

Charlotte's eighteenth birthday was the next day, on the ninth of September. She received a letter from her dad the day before. He wished his daughter a happy birthday and wondered how things were going for her. When Charlotte read her dad's letter, she felt a tug of homesickness and couldn't stomach her lunch that day. She had done well in not missing her dad, but it all came showering down on her after receiving that letter. Now all she wanted to do, was see him.

After lunch, Sobel had his men run over the assault course in full gear.

It was hellish.

Charlotte struggled greatly; she was breathing hard and sweaty profusely. Charlotte even tripped a few times, while running down the hill to reach the walls. But the worst happened when she started to climb up the net. Her boot got caught in the net, Charlotte lost her balance and turned upside down. She was high up, and her eyes scanned her fall. With all the heavy gear, it was hard to pull herself back up, but she still tried, not wanting Sobel to catch her hanging upside down, like a scared idiot.

Charlotte grunted and huffed, while she tried to pull herself up.

But her efforts were futile.

Eventually, Toye, who was behind her, climbed up quickly to help her.

Just as he reached her arm, Sobel spotted this.

"Keep moving!" He screamed, "leave him! We do not stop!"

Toye's eyes widened a little.

He looked back at Charlotte;

"come on, Lottie". He encouraged her lowly, "pull yourself up; you can do it".

"Private Toye!" Sobel screamed again, "move!"

Clenching her jaw, Charlotte tried again.

But she let out an exhausted sigh and shook her head;

"I'm sorry". She said to Toye, "I can't".

Her back banged against the net and the hard-wooden wall.

Charlotte tried to see how badly her foot was caught.

Toye then told her quickly, before he left;

"You can shift it free". He informed her, "you're 'gonna land hard, but you might be okay".

Biting down on her lower lip, Charlotte thought of another idea.

Grabbing onto the net, below her head, she began to move her caught foot around, hoping to set it free. Sobel screamed at Toye again, who quickly scaled the rest of the wall. When it started to rain, her boots grew wet. Charlotte's task got a whole lot easier with the sudden downpour of rain. And, after a few more shakes, her boot was set free.

Hands gripping the net tightly, Charlotte's legs came crashed down, and her knees bashed harshly against the wall. Wincing a little, it hurt, but she was no longer upside down. With a light and dizzy head, she began to climb up the rest of the wall, without getting caught again. It was her first drama in camp. And Sobel had forgotten all about it, as soon as it ended. He didn't even make a comment, while she was stuck and tangled up. Charlotte was grateful that he hadn't noticed her but slightly confused, as any other officer might have noticed. In fact, they might have even helped.

However, Charlotte figured Sobel did that so that she would get herself out of trouble alone. And although terrifying for a moment, Charlotte managed to figure out how to set herself free. She could sort of see what Sobel was doing. She remembered her dad telling her about his old commanding officer, he was as tough as nails, and his men hated him. But it wasn't Sobel's job to make friends; it was his job to turn civilians into soldiers. And he was taking his role very seriously.

Because no one liked Sobel.

The only person in the Company who could stand the man was 1st Sargent Evans.

Charlotte wasn't a big fan of Evans. He looked happy whenever Sobel yelled at the men or issued out a punishment. It was strange. Because Sobel didn't smile whenever he screamed or had a man dig holes all morning. Evans was another man Charlotte stayed clear of.

After the assault course, Sobel had them running for nine miles out in the rain and mud, with full gear. And while on that run, two men voluntary quit, right on the spot. Charlotte felt her confidence slip away whenever an athletic man quit. Because she wasn't athletic, she still struggled to pull herself up and run, and Charlotte wondered when it would be her turn to wash out.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Charlotte covered the blisters on her feet with sellotape. It was a trick most men pulled when suffering from blisters. A trip to the medical centre was risky, the medics could have them pulled out of training, and no one wanted to miss a day of training. No matter how miserable training was.

Lighting up a cigarette, Charlotte leaned back against her bed and read over her letter again. Her lips twitched, creating a small smile while she read her dads words. But her heart was aching to see him again. She hoped he was coping well without her. Charlotte hated the thought of her dad being alone in Lancaster. She was all he had left.

"Letter from home, pal?" Moe asked her.

Looking away from her letter and towards him, Charlotte nodded.

"What's the old man saying?" He asked her curiously.

Moe took off his boots and leaned against his pillows while lighting up a cigarette.

It was their favourite pastime. Smoking, lying down and listening to the radio.

"Not loads". Charlotte mumbled, "eh…just that he's okay and he's wishing me a happy birthday and that-"

"Today is your birthday?" Moe asked her.

She shook her head, "no, it's tomorrow". Charlotte replied, "I'll be eighteen".

"Yeah?" He smiled, "you're three years younger than me, Lottie. I couldn't work out your age".

Charlotte shrugged, "that's alright, Moe". She mumbled softly, "you're not the first person to say that".

"Well, it's good your dad wrote to you, Lottie". He pointed out lightly, "that's a good birthday present right there".

She smiled small, with a nod of agreement.

"Yeah, you're right, Moe". She said quietly, "just…well, I sort of miss him a wee bit".

Moe's smile softened, "don't worry, pal. I miss Nancy a lot".

He then added;

"a hell of a lot".

Charlotte frowned a little, "do you's write loads to each other?"

"I try, too". Moe said, "but we're always swamped, Lottie. It's hard to find the time".

"We always have a Sunday, eh?" Charlotte said, in a warm voice.

"Yeah, we do". He agreed.

Bloser rolled onto his side and faced Charlotte;

"how's your feet, Lottie?"

Looking over at her sellotaped feet, she smiled a little;

"oh, they're okay". She said softly, "how's your knees, Rob?"

He huffed out a little laugh, "killing me slowly, Lottie".

At that point, Guarnere smoothly walked over to them.

He sat himself down on the edge of Charlotte's bed.

She drew up her legs up, so he didn't have to be close to her blistered feet. Charlotte hadn't spoken much to Guarnere. He seemed to be a very popular guy who had a lot of friends. Moe and Bloser liked him. Charlotte knew he was from South Philadelphia, had two brothers fighting in the war and was Catholic. But that was all she knew about Bill Guarnere. Personality-wise, he was full of it. Guarnere was likeable and wasn't a pushover. Whereas Charlotte was a bit of a pushover. She was agreeable and didn't like arguments. They were completely opposite. But they did share one thing in common;

"I have two brothers". Charlotte told him quietly, "they're both fighting too".

Guarnere brought out a cigarette, "you hear from them, Lottie?"

She shook her head, "well – they're missing, actually".

"That's too bad". He said, "where were they last seen?"

"France". Charlotte told him, "dad came home without them".

"Your dad fought in this war?"

She nodded, "and the Great War".

Guarnere smiled, "that's crazy, Lottie". He commented, "he an older guy?"

"Yeah". Charlotte said, "eh…like, he's almost sixty. I think".

"Well, good for him, Lottie".

She then told him, "I lived in South Philadelphia for two months".

Guarnere's eyes lightened, "you did? What'd you think of it?"

Charlotte smiled, "Yeah, I liked it". She told him, "it's nice there".

He started to tell her about where he grew up, what his dad did for a living and that he was the youngest of ten children. Guarnere talked about feeling hungry a lot in his childhood, for food and money was hard to come by. He spoke of his older brother Henry, who was a huge baseball fan. Guarnere's "Pop" was Joe, the tailor. And his mum, Augusta was an angel. Guarnere said his mum was like Sophie Tucker. Augusta was always singing, smoking and cooking in the kitchen.

"I like Sophie Tucker". Charlotte said, with a smile.

"Hey – me too, Lottie". Guarnere beamed, "now, my mom – well, she taught me how to cook well, you know? So, my girl Frannie, we're 'gonna have some races to the kitchen".

She chuckled, "yeah?"

"You'd bet, Lottie". He said, "now, my Pop, he's from Italy. Speaks broken English. And my mom was born in the States, but she speaks fluent Italian. You always know when someone's in trouble when they start speaking Italian to each other, Lottie. You'd best be running for the damn hills".

Charlotte laughed again, and Guarnere grinned;

"what about your folks, Lottie?" He asked her, "what was it like having a dad in the army?"

She shrugged, "He was away a lot". Charlotte told him, "but we were pretty sheltered, Bill. So, like, mum didn't have much to worry about, you know?"

Guarnere nodded, "I get it, Lottie. Your dad's loaded".

She smiled at him, "I'm not sure about loaded but…yeah, he was a Colonel in the war so-"

"wait, really?" He cut her off, "a fucking Colonel? Like Sink?"

"Eh – yeah". Charlotte mumbled, "it's how I got in here, Bill".

"Makes sense". He mused, "so, huh, did he lay down a lot of discipline?"

She shook her head, "not really. He didn't bring his work home with him".

Charlotte then added with a smile;

"he didn't need to anyway. We respect him".

Guarnere snorted, "I was a little devil, Lottie…still, am".

Rubbing the back of her neck, she smiled, "yeah?"

He nodded, "I was always getting into trouble. My Pop was always punishing me". Guarnere then said, "but mom signed me up for Citizens Military Training Camp when I was fifteen. You'd think it would straighten me out, huh?"

Charlotte snorted, "it didn't?"

"Fuck no, Lottie". He said, "I still got into trouble".

"My brothers went right to officer school after high school". She said, "before the war".

"Eager, huh?"

Charlotte nodded, "yeah…they wanted to be like dad".

"But not you?"

She shrugged, "I wasn't bothered…dad got me into college when we moved to Lancaster".

"What'd you study?"

"History and music". Charlotte told him, "always liked those subjects".

Guarnere smirked, "think you're a better singer than Joe Toye?"

She smiled, "no way, Bill". Charlotte added, "I don't sing".

"Nah…you don't look the type to perform on a stage, Lottie".

Charlotte sighed a little, "just not brave enough".

"Fair enough, Lottie". Guarnere said, "so, you're shy?"

"Dad always said I was". She said quietly, "but…I 'dunno".

He clapped her shoulder;

"I'll get you 'outta that hard shell, Lottie".

**…**

The Black Swan was becoming a name of choice for Sobel. Unfortunately for their newly promoted Captain, he ran like a duck. They called him other names too, every curse word under the sun, which Charlotte wasn't used to hearing. Sobel would be running ahead, and the men thought;

_ "if the Black Swan can do it, then so can I!"_

It was that sort of mental encouragement, which got them through the first full month of training. Men would drop out, even the officers did. They still had a handful of good officers but Sobel's chickenshit behaviour, caused a lot of men to quit. Most of the officers moved up to Battalion HQ. Heyliger and Lavenson were the first to leave. But among some men leaving, others were getting promoted.

Guarnere made Corporal.

As well as Moe, Johnny Martin, Chuck Grant and Toye.

Diel soon became 2nd Platoon's Sargent.

All the enlisted men who joined were replacing the old Army NCO's.

And very slowly, Charlotte was beginning to see some physical changes. She now gained some upper body strength and could do the required number of push-ups and pull-ups. Her time running up Currahee improved with the rest of the men, and her body had toned up with muscles. Charlotte was still stumpy, but now she felt tough on the inside, as well as looking tough on the outside. Training had given her some confidence.

On a Saturday night, Charlotte left camp with the men inside her barrack, and they headed into Toccoa to drink beers in the taprooms. She had never touched a beer before; her dad didn't want her drinking. He didn't want her smoking either but knew Charlotte could smoke like a chimney sometimes. She claimed it helped her concentrate better when researching or writing out music. Either way, Alexander couldn't stop his daughter.

Getting off the bus, they walked into the bar.

Inside, other Companies from the 506th were there, already talking up the young women. Sitting at the bar with her friends, Toye ordered her a beer. It came in a glass bottle, and it didn't taste brilliant, but it wasn't the worst thing she had ever tasted. The beer was cold and refreshing after a long week of training.

Charlotte sat at the table with some of her friends, while the rest mingled with girls. The night was going well; everyone was in a good mood and enjoyed a night away from camp and Sobel. It felt good to be away from orders; Charlotte didn't realise just how much freedom she had back with her dad until they left camp for a few hours.

Beer after beer was placed onto the table.

Charlotte paid for some rounds; they split the costs evenly. Nothing stronger layout in front of her but even still, after over five beers, Charlotte was beginning to feel a little strange. There was a slight tingle in her fingers, and she felt warm from the inside. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, to begin with; in fact, Charlotte felt smiley and relaxed. Sitting quietly, Charlotte finished off another beer, which would be her last that night.

The pleasant feeling vanished when her head started to spin.

Charlotte suddenly hated the effects of beer. Her head felt light and spacey, which caused her stomach to rebel. Pulling an uncomfortable face, Charlotte's hand pressed against her nauseous stomach. Leaning forwards a little, she bit down on her lip and took in a deep breath, trying to rid the horrible feeling.

Jim Campbell checked his watch;

"shit! We 'gotta make a move soon". He told Toye, who was beside him, "Sobel will be waiting".

"Fuck him". Toye muttered, "I ain't going nowhere".

"Your funeral, man". Campbell mumbled and sighed after, "Hey, Bill!" He called over to Guarnere, who was chatting up two girls with Bloser and Potter. "Bill!"

"What?!" Guarnere yelled back, sharply turning towards Campbell. "I'm busy here, Jim!"

"We 'gotta make a move, Bill!"

"Shit". He cursed, "come on, Rob-"

"what?" Potter complained, "seriously?"

Guarnere sighed, "yup…Black Swan will be waiting for us".

Moe, Guarnere and Campbell started to gather up all the men, including Charlotte, who was sitting quietly on her seat. They counted up twelve guys when they exited the pub. Toye was still in there. Rolling his eyes, Malarkey walked back into the bar and collected their drunk friend.

Once all thirteen were counted for, they began the walk towards the bus stop.

It wasn't a smooth walk. They bumped into trees, signs and started fights with them. They stumbled around, tripping over their own feet and clumsily lit up cigarettes, which took at least forty seconds to light. The men sang loudly, cursed and made loud jokes.

Somehow, Charlotte ended up smoking a cigarette, right at the back of the group.

"Alright there, Lottie?" Malarkey asked her, "pretty quiet back there".

"That's nothing new". Muck pointed out, "you got enough smokes, Lottie?"

Charlotte hadn't smoked a lot in the pub, seeing as she was busy drinking.

And while puffing away on that cigarette, that warm feeling got stronger, but still, her body began to shake. She stopped walking and closed her eyes, just so the earth would stop spinning for a moment. Charlotte didn't like the feeling; she wanted it to stop and knowing that she had no control; it made her shake harder.

"Come on, Lottie. That bus won't come to us". Muck told her.

Rubbing her eyes with her free hand, Charlotte let out a tiny sigh.

"What is it?" Malarkey asked her, "had too much?"

"You not feeling good, Lottie?" Muck then asked.

Dropping the cigarette to the ground, she stubbed it out and crossed her arms over her chest. Shaking her head, Charlotte started to walk again. Giving her a sympathetic smile, Malarkey clapped her gently on the shoulder;

"we've all been there, Lottie". He assured her, "the first time I got drunk, I hated it".

"Yeah, me, too". Muck added, "but, I did it again, just didn't drink as much".

Charlotte didn't feel much better the next morning. Her stomach was in knots, and she didn't manage to eat any breakfast. Guarnere told her to drink coffee though, as that would help with her pressing headache. She sipped her coffee and left the mess hall, feeling like she had the worst case of the flu.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out her packet of cigarettes.

Bringing one out, she lit it up and inhaled the smoke deeply.

Charlotte started smoking at a young age when she bumped into a group of kids from her old school smoking. The first time she tried it, Charlotte almost choked to death. But it became a habit, and soon, she was buying them at the shops, claiming they were for her parents.

Upon entering the barrack, the mail had been delivered.

Charlotte saw a letter on her bed, which had come from her dad.

Only this time, she decided to ignore it. Charlotte didn't want to feel homesick again, it distracted her, and she couldn't afford to be distracted. She had to stay focused, or else she'd risk washing out.

After placing her letter into her footlocker, Charlotte sat on her bed and smoked the rest of her cigarette. By the time she finished, Guarnere and Moe walked into the barrack.

"Not hungry?" Guarnere teased with a smirk.

He ruffled her hair, and Charlotte snorted;

"no". She mumbled, before flattening her short hair.

"Well, we ate". Moe told her, "try and get some lunch, huh? You'll waste away".

Charlotte shrugged, "mum used to say I could drop some weight".

Guarnere tutted, "you're fine, Lottie".

"What was she so concerned over your weight for?" Moe asked, pulling a face, "Christ, that's a weird one, Lottie".

She huffed, "well…mum was worried I wouldn't get married…or something, I 'dunno".

"Yeah?" Guarnere questioned, "you don't need a damned husband, Lottie. Not now, anyway". He then added, "my mom told me that women can handle themselves just fucking fine. And I know they can, I've seen it. My mom is one strong lady, Lottie. And she did everything while Pop worked all the time. Raising ten kids ain't easy".

"Especially when one of them is you, Bill". Moe added with a grin.

Guarnere chuckled, "shut up, Moe…but you do got a point"

After a moment of silence, Moe suddenly said;

"did you hear? Parks left".

Guarnere sighed, "no, shit. Really?"

Moe nodded, "yup. Packed his bags in the night and left this morning".

"That's too bad". Guarnere mumbled, "I liked Parks".

The barrack door opened, they expected to see the rest of their friends, but surprisingly, two of the old Army NCO's walked inside, holding a plastic container. Guarnere looked over at them; eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"We're collecting funds for Company E". One of the Sargent's said, "please place your donations into this container".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte reached into her pocket, about to bring out five dollars. But Guarnere quickly said to her;

"don't give them your money, Lottie…these fellas are full of shit".

The army Sargent looked pissed off;

"I'll have you know, Corporal…that this is for your own cause!"

"The hell it is!" Guarnere argued, "that moneys going into your own Goddamn pocket. Get lost, before I kick the shit 'outta you".

The Sargent ignored him and looked over at Charlotte, "Private? You were about to make a donation, no?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked over at Guarnere, who was shaking his head.

Biting her bottom lip, she shook her head and looked down at her lap.

The Sargent glared at Guarnere;

"you're in for it now, Corporal".

Guarnere laughed, "right…see you around fellas, huh?"

There was a moment of tension. The Sargent's didn't leave right away, and the barrack was filled with thick silence. Guarnere held his glare between the two of them until Moe said;

"best just go now, fellas". He told them lowly, "we don't want any trouble on a Sunday".

The Sargent's did eventually leave, container still empty.

And once that door closed, Charlotte felt her shoulders drop in relief.

Guarnere shook his head, "who the hell do they think we are, huh?"

Moe sighed, "no idea, Bill". He then looked over at Charlotte, who was still staring down at her lap. Feeling himself frown a little, he asked, "you good, Lottie?"

Looking up, Charlotte gave him a nod and a tiny smile.

**…**

She had done well in keeping her head down.

Each passing day, training got more intense. Soon, they started airborne training, where they first learned how to pack a parachute. Colonel Sink had planned for his men to qualify in Toccoa, but only a handful of officers made their five jumps from a runway, Sink and his team had constructed. It was deemed too unsafe. But at least the Easy officers were now certified paratroopers, and it gave the enlisted men more fire to pass training.

"Those jump wings sure look shiny". Potter mumbled, "boy, I sure wouldn't mind them".

"We've got weeks left, George". Moe reminded him kindly, "but you'll be wearing them soon enough".

"Alright, Lottie. Press-up position let's go". Toye told her, "it's good the officers got their wings". He said to Potter and Moe, "makes me want them more".

"Me too". Potter said, "I sure can't wait".

Getting into a push-up position, Toye watched her closely, while she began the exercise.

Winters was running PT that morning with Easy.

They had done their usual run-up Currahee and planned to go over the assault course after breakfast. It was just a regular day in Toccoa. However, Sobel had other ideas while Winters led their PT session. The Captain came barging into the field, with Evans by his side.

While Charlotte was doing her push-ups, she could see Sobel's black boots by her nose.

Stilling, she bit down on her lip.

Charlotte could feel his hard stare, and it lingered, even when he walked away.

Blowing on his whistle, he yelled;

"fall in!"

Winters looked confused but had the men fall in around Sobel.

The Captain then told them;

"we've decided to test you this morning". He said, "Private Turner will spar with Private Gallagher".

A few eyebrows raised.

And Charlotte frowned, wondering how Sobel had only just noticed her.

Private Turner was from 1st Platoon; he was taller and more athletic than Charlotte. It wasn't going to be a fair fight, and Turner didn't look happy about it either. But an order was an order, and soon, Easy formed a circle, with Charlotte and Turner in the centre.

Taking in a deep breath, she raised her fists.

Turner did the same.

They both got into a fighting stance.

Sobel blew his whistle;

"begin!" He ordered.

Usually, at a sparring match, men would cheer and egg them on, but not this time, Charlotte and Turner were met by a tense and prolonged silence. She had learned basic hand to hand combat but nothing like this. Charlotte was never picked to fight another man from Easy. Sobel didn't like the silence, and he didn't like that his two soldiers weren't fighting. He grew angry;

"if no one moves in the next ten seconds, then you're both out!"

Feeling her heart race and her breathing pick up, Charlotte's eyes widened.

Turner, who didn't want to leave, marched over to her.

And it was there, where Charlotte received her first punch to the face.

Falling to the ground, her face ached, while it pressed up against the muddy field. He had punched her in the jaw, hoping to knock her out quickly and save her a lot of pain. But Charlotte hadn't been knocked out. Lying there for a few moments, she blinked and tried to shake off the dizziness.

"Get up!". Sobel screamed, "get the hell up, Private!"

Body shaking a little, Charlotte pushed herself up.

And, as soon as she got back onto her feet, Turner punched her in the eye.

Charlotte flew backwards this time, back slamming onto the ground.

Feeling winded, she took in a wheezy breath and turned onto her side, coughing a few times. Before Sobel could scream at her to get back up, Charlotte stumbled onto her feet. She stood there, in a hunched position and her hands were at her side. She wasn't protecting herself.

Turner punched her twice.

Once on the nose and then again, right in the stomach.

Bending over, Charlotte was truly winded that time.

She tried to take in a breath, but Turner kneed her in the stomach.

"Jesus Christ". Guarnere whispered, shaking his head.

It was hard to watch.

Charlotte was a terrible fighter.

"Private!" Sobel screamed, "if you do not fight back, then I will send you back home!"

_ Home_. She thought, blissfully.

God, how she missed home.

Mouth hanging open, Charlotte coughed and got her breath back.

She could feel blood trickle from her nose.

Charlotte ran her arm under her nose.

Lifting her head, she could see Turner was about to punch her again.

But she charged and tackled him onto the ground.

"Yes, Lottie!" Moe yelled, clapping his hands.

Turner grabbed her shoulders and turned them both over, so he was on top of her now. Charlotte was trapped under him, with his tight and hard hold. The cheering from her friends soon stopped. Turner locked eyes with her; she stared back at him. He let go of one of her shoulders, and she squirmed to the side, while his knuckles crashed into the muddy field.

"Ah, shit!" He exclaimed.

Because it wasn't just the muddy field he had punched, it was a rock.

Using this advantage, Charlotte pulled herself up and pushed Turner off her.

Getting onto her feet, he quickly followed.

And despite his sore knuckles, Turner punched her again.

Hitting her under the jaw.

Charlotte could hear a ringing in her ear before she fell onto the grass.

Her eyes weren't shut, and she could hear faint voices around her. Feeling hazy and weak, Charlotte's hands gripped onto the grass. Blinking a few times, she slowly got back onto her feet. Charlotte swayed, the earth was spinning, and she almost fell back down again. Turner knew he had her now. There was no way; she could put up a good fight now.

But despite the dizziness, Charlotte tried her hardest to fight back. She threw in punches which were easily avoidable. Evans laughed at that, but she couldn't hear him. Charlotte tried her hardest to punch back or put up a good fight. It was impossible, however. She couldn't grab her bearings. Turner was sure; one more punch would knock her out.

But it didn't.

When Charlotte felt a blow to her cheek, she fell onto her knees but was still awake.

Getting back onto her feet, she felt another blow to her stomach.

Charlotte fell to her knees again.

The blow to her stomach winded her, much like last time.

Gasping, Charlotte tried to breathe normally again.

And while doing this, Turner looked down at her;

"Jesus…just give up already!"

Taking in a wheezy breath, Charlotte slowly got onto her feet.

She wanted to give up, more than anything but Sobel would give her hell.

So, she couldn't.

"No". Charlotte croaked.

Her hands went back up to guard her face, and she stood in a weak position to fight.

Turner snapped. He was angry to be fighting someone who couldn't fight back, and above all else, he was furious to be fighting a girl.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" He raged, "huh?! Just pack up and get the fuck home!"

No one enjoyed that.

Not even Sobel was smiling.

And this hurt look crossed Charlotte's eyes as if he had just torn the heart right out of her.

Worse yet, she could feel tears sting the corners of her eyes.

And her bottom lip tremble.

Charlotte didn't have a lot of confidence, to begin with, she never did carry much. She was content with being invisible. She was content sitting in her room and studying. So, why on earth did she decide to join the Paratroopers?

"Huh?!" Turner yelled, pushing her roughly back.

Snapping out from her thoughts, Charlotte almost fell back onto the ground again.

But she managed to stop herself somehow.

However, Turner kept on pushing her;

"just go, huh?!" He screamed, "just fucking go! You don't fucking belong here!"

No one liked being pushed around.

But Charlotte avoided arguments and fights like the plague.

Well, she used to do. Because now she was training to enter a fight. And that sparked a small flame inside of her. So, when Turner pushed her again, while he continued to scream at her, something inside of Charlotte switched on, and she went for him.

"Stop!" She screamed, voice ripping and breaking.

Lunging towards him, Charlotte knocked him onto the ground, very suddenly and punched him on the nose.

"I told you to stop!"

Her voice hurt from screaming and her knuckles were bruised and bloody.

And the men watched in silence. While their usually calm and collective friend, just lost it. Eventually, Winters had to step in. Grabbing her by the shoulder, he pulled his soldier off from Turner. Charlotte was still breathing heavily, body shaking from that explosive rage. Her teeth were bared together, face reddened with anger. Winters was crouched next to her, while Sobel marched into the centre of the circle and pulled Turner up;

"get cleaned up!" He ordered him, "you're a disgrace, Private Turner!"

Sobel then looked back towards the rest of his men;

"fall out!"

Blowing his whistle, the rest of Easy scurried off and got ready for breakfast.

Charlotte was still sitting on the muddy field, still in the same state of rage.

Winters didn't let go of her shoulder.

And Sobel looked down at them;

"get her calmed down, Lieutenant". He ordered, "for God's sake…".

When the Captain and Evans left the field, Winters looked back down at his trooper.

"Take it easy". He murmured, "calm down".

Charlotte wasn't used to feeling so angry before.

She didn't even know that type of rage existed inside of her.

So, it was a little shocking when that side of her came to the surface.

And upsetting.

Blinking, Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek.

Quickly wiping it away, she soon bit down on her trembling lip.

"Come on; it's alright". He murmured again, with a tiny frown.

Sniffing, Charlotte rubbed her eyes with bloodied hands.

Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly.

Still watching her closely, Winters smiled a little;

"What happened to Harry?"

Wiping her nose with her hand, she replied;

"he didn't pass the medical, sir". Charlotte responded, voice still cracking and brittle.

"That's too bad". Winters pointed out while giving her shoulder a squeeze. "He's a good kid. I'm sure he'll find something else to do".

Feeling that lump reach her throat again, Charlotte could only nod, knowing that if she spoke, she'd end up sobbing like a stupid kid. And Charlotte was eighteen; she wasn't a stupid kid. Though she felt tiny at that moment. And all she wanted, more than anything, was her dad.

"You should get some breakfast, Gallagher". Winters told her, "you need your strength for the assault course".

"Okay, sir".

Taking in another deep breath, Charlotte was soon helped onto her feet.

Winters looked down at her;

"your hands alright, Private?"

Charlotte looked down at her cut and bruised knuckles.

They hurt, but her head hurt the most.

"Yeah, sir". She told him softly, "eh…I'll be alright, sir".

He smiled, "good job, Private".

Winters was a great officer who really took care of them.

Charlotte felt better and calmer when she left his side and entered the busy mess hall. After grabbing her food, she wandered towards the table and sat between Guarnere and Moe.

Of course, Moe fussed over her;

"You okay, Lottie? God, look at your hands. You alright?"

Charlotte nodded, "yeah, great".

Guarnere reached over and ruffled her hair;

"You did good, Lottie". He told her, "we'll get you fighting better, though, how about that?"

"Yeah, she needs the practice". Toye agreed, "I'll give you some lessons during free time, kid".

Looking over at him, Charlotte felt her lips twitched;

"Alright, thanks, Joe".

"How's your face, Lottie?" Muck asked her, with a kind smile.

Charlotte sighed, "that was the first time someone punched me". She mumbled.

"How'd it feel?" Guarnere asked her, with a tiny smirk.

She frowned and shrugged;

"eh…pretty bad".

"You'll get used to it". Toye told her, "I'll toughen you up, Lottie".

Charlotte smiled at him;

"Thanks, Joe".


	4. Chapter 3

Charlotte avoided her dad's letters like the plague.

And while she avoided letters, the weather took a turn. By October, the pot-bellied stoves were on during the night, as well as the soft music playing in the background from their barrack. The days were shorter, it got dark quickly in Toccoa. By that month, the men had grown used to each other and they all shared a common bond. Training didn't get any easier, but it was bearable, with friends to keep their morale high.

They were all friends, who had disagreements, that every family had. But they'd never stay mad at each other for long. Arguments were forgotten about and men found common ground. They were shaping up to be a brilliant Company. One which broke the record on the assault course, or who ran up Currahee more times than the other Companies. The ones who continued to train after lights out because Sobel forced them to march for miles through the country. Easy was excellent at close-order drills. They no longer looked at each other as civilians. Because one day, the man next to them, would end up saving their life. Or vice versa.

Charlotte adored the men in Easy.

She looked up to the Sargent's and their Platoon leaders. And she felt more and more comfortable around her friends. Especially her squad and the mortar squad. It was hard not to; they shared a barrack together. Charlotte knew which man snored, who talked in their sleep and what time Toye would start singing a song. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. Their flaws and good parts of their personalities. What made them angry, or what made them laugh.

Fear and sadness weren't shared feelings among them.

If a man was missing home, they'd laugh it off. Or, they'd stare at a picture of their sweetheart or parents and not saying anything for a while. It was easier to be angry, than sad or scared. And Charlotte didn't like to feel any of those emotions. Last time she got angry, she cried. Charlotte didn't want that to happen again. But sometimes, it was hard to swallow down those emotions and get on with the day.

Which is what happened to Jim Campbell, when he received a letter from home.

Charlotte was coming out from the latrines when she saw him.

Campbell punched the side of the barrack and let out a grunt.

Up until this point, Campbell hadn't shown much emotion. He only ever smiled or laughed. They had never seen him angry or upset before. Which is why Charlotte was concerned and ended up slowly walking towards him.

"Jim-"

"what?!"

Taking a step back, Charlotte bit down on her lip.

Sighing, Campbell ran a hand down his face.

"What?" He asked, quietly this time.

She frowned, "you don't have to…to tell me or that but – are you okay?"

Hand leaving his face, Campbell huffed and shook his head;

"People are assholes, Lottie". He muttered, "you know that, right?"

Staring up at him, Charlotte shrugged;

"I 'dunno, Jim".

"Well – they fucking are". He grunted, "not everyone is nice…some folk are just straight-up assholes and they expect us to give them fucking money – my damned money!"

Charlotte flinched when he punched the barrack again.

The letter crumbled in his other hand;

"my fucking money…after what they…after what they fucking did".

Charlotte could hear the hurt in his voice, which pulled at her heart.

Closing his eyes, Campbell took in a deep and steady breath.

Another voice appeared;

"what's going on?"

It was Toye.

And he stared at his friends curiously;

"how come your punching the barrack, Jim?"

Campbell's forehead gently bumped against the barrack, "talk later, Joe". He mumbled, "I ain't up for talking right now".

Toye shrugged, "suit yourself". He then turned to Charlotte, "kid, Punchy will be here to inspect our gear soon. You done?"

She shook her head, "not yet".

"Well, get it done". He urged, "Sarge won't be happy, Lottie".

Charlotte turned around and left the two men alone.

But before she entered the barrack, she looked back towards them.

Toye had his arm around Campbell, speaking into his ear.

Frowning a little, she turned away from them and entered the barrack.

**…**

October also brought a moment in training no one wished for.

They were sitting at the table in the mess hall, eating a spaghetti meal, while it rained outside.

With only lectures after lunch, the men stuffed their faces with spaghetti and crusty bread. Charlotte enjoyed the meal, she gobbled up every last piece and left none for the dogs. Like the men, she was starving and devoured the meal, despite some complaints. Mainly from Perconte, who claimed it was;

"army noodles and ketchup".

Either way, Charlotte had enjoyed her meal.

But that demeanour changed, when someone soon yelled;

"Atten-hut!"

On their feet, Sobel and Evans marched up the strip in the mess hall and faced his men.

"Change of plan!" He yelled, "Easy is running up Currahee!"

Eyes widening a little, Charlotte looked down at her empty plate.

_ Was he serious?_ She wondered.

"MOVE OUT!" Sobel screamed when no one budged.

All this time, Charlotte had given their Captain the benefit of the doubt. She figured he trained them so hard, so they'd be ready for combat but now? Charlotte came to the conclusion, that he was just plain mean. Because men around her groaned and vomited up their spaghetti meal. It was like a scene of a crime, with tomato sauce, spread over the muddy terrain, reminding her of blood.

Not that Charlotte had ever seen a crime scene before, but she imagined it would look similar to spewed up spaghetti. Charlotte ended up slowing down, as her stomach felt too heavy and she accidentally bumped into Lipton, who was another Sargent in Easy.

Lipton was patient, kind and would go above and beyond for anyone.

So, when Charlotte bumped into him, he didn't mind.

"Keep moving". He encouraged her.

And she had a moment of complaint;

"I feel sick".

Lipton nodded, "yup – we all do, buddy".

Still running, Charlotte looked up at him.

He gave her a tight smile in return, "you're not alone in this, Lottie".

It didn't feel natural, running on a full stomach. Spaghetti sloshed inside of her, which caused her mouth to fill with saliva. Charlotte, who was already a pale person, turned three shades whiter than usual. And her body started to shake as if she was trying to escape the horrible feeling of being incredibly nauseous.

Lipton was still staring at her;

"alright there, mousey?"

"You're a washout, Private Hoobler!" They heard Sobel taunt.

Sure enough, Hoobler was getting sick all down his shirt.

"You should pack up those ears and go home!"

For every man that got sick, Sobel would point it out loudly and embarrass them. Though, the men couldn't stay embarrassed because everyone was in the same boat. They all felt sick and struggled to reach the top of Currahee.

"Looks like Gordan's done! Aren't you, Gordon? You finished? You do not deserve your wings!" Sobel screamed while Smokey got sick. And soon, his attention turned to Bull, who looked just as exhausted as the next man. "Private Randleman, you look tired. There's an ambulance waiting for you at the bottom of the hill!"

Sobel then continued to say;

"No more pain, no more Currahee…no more Captain Sobel".

It sounded inviting because Charlotte couldn't remember a life without the man.

Surprisingly, she made it to the bottom of Currahee and back to camp without losing her spaghetti meal. But Charlotte wasn't hopeful. She felt as sick as a dog. And she prayed, to whatever God was listening, to give her this break. But the man upstairs mustn't have been home because she could feel that spaghetti meal rush up her throat, threating to pour out of her like a fountain.

She didn't even hear what Sobel was telling them;

"fall out!" He then screamed.

The drained and sick men broke apart and headed for the latrines or their barracks.

Charlotte, very slowly and carefully, followed the men.

She was practically leaning onto the side of a barrack, to keep herself upright.

And, despite how sick he felt, Guarnere was grinning at her;

"honestly, Lottie". He said, "I thought you would have been the first one to puke".

When the Corporal clapped her on the back, Charlotte heaved.

And soon lost that spaghetti lunch.

A meal she'd never forget and never likely eat again.

But it was over in minutes and after a warm shower, Charlotte felt better. When she entered the barrack, the men relaxed on their beds. And when she reached her bed, Charlotte noticed another letter from her dad. Biting her lip, she picked it up.

Sighing, Charlotte opened her footlocker and placed it by the other unread letters from home. She couldn't afford to get homesick. And reading letters from her dad, made her miss home and the comforts it brought. The only way Charlotte was going to last, was to stay away from things that offered her comfort, especially small glimpses of home.

"Fuck…". Bloser complained to the ceiling, while he lay on his bed.

"Right?" Potter mumbled, "what a horrible tale to tell the folks back home".

"Oh, they ain't hearing this shit". J.B Stokes muttered.

"Sobel's an asshole". Toye commented.

The others nodded and responded in agreement.

Charlotte, like always, didn't say much.

Malarkey turned on the radio, keeping the music low.

The barrack was soon filled with soft piano. Charlotte's eyes moved towards the radio and her heart felt heavy when it reminded her of life back in Scotland. She'd be sitting at the piano, while Christina would sit in her armchair and drink whiskey. Like she usually would do.

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked away from the radio.

"We've got our first exercise tomorrow". Moe pointed out, "who knows, Sobel might be good at leading us in combat".

"I ain't holding my breath". Guarnere mumbled, "that man's a chickenshit".

"Yeah, he is". He agreed, "but we've just 'gotta see how it goes, alright? Now, I'm not taking his side, hell, he puts us through a lot of shit. But I've just 'gotta see what he's like at leading us".

"Moe's got a point". Muck said, "if Sobel can keep us alive out in combat, then great-"

"but if he can't". Campbell muttered, "then he doesn't deserve to lead us anywhere".

**…**

The next night, Easy was positioned for an ambush attack.

They were scattered across a small section of the woods, each taking cover in their foxholes or behind trees and bushes. The woods behind camp came in handy, when it came to field exercises and this was their first try, putting everything they had learned since August into practice. Of course, the men of Easy felt ready for anything. Marching in the night, digging holes and sorting out their weapons, it gave them a sense of adrenaline. It was like a very intense game of hide and seek, Charlotte had thought while taking cover in a foxhole with Campbell.

So far, Sobel had his men in good positions.

They were spread out and had set up their mortars further back, with machine-gunners to either side of any potential hot spot. It wasn't a bad manoeuvre. However, they had all started to noticed how twitchy their Commanding Officer looked. He'd flinch at any sudden noise and kept on looking behind him, making sure everyone was;

"Stay quiet!" He'd order, in a loud whisper.

Frowning a little, Charlotte couldn't hear anyone making any noise.

Well, all except Sobel.

Shuddering from a cold breeze, Charlotte rolled her shoulders.

And at the same time, a rustling leaf startled Sobel and he jumped up;

"here they come…here they come!"

Pulling a face, Campbell looked at Charlotte;

"Lottie…what the fuck?" He whispered.

And she shook her head, just as clueless as everyone else.

"Get into your positions!" Sobel ordered loudly, "we're under attack!"

"We're fucked". Campbell muttered to her, "he's 'gonna get us killed out there".

Moe, who was acting as their squad leader, shushed him;

"stay quiet". He reminded him, in a hushed voice.

Campbell gave Charlotte a, "is he serious?" stare, which caused her to snort.

No one was very happy with the outcome of their first field exercise. And of course, Sobel blamed everyone but himself. It was a wet and windy night out in the field and when the attack eventually did come; no one was ready because Sobel was busy telling them off. More than half of the Company would have died if that had been the real deal. And that hit home to a lot of men because a man like Sobel was leading them out into war.

Come morning, the men marched back into camp.

After a quick shower and breakfast, Winters let a PT session out in the cold rain. They could all tell it was going to be a miserable day because Sobel was in a horrible mood. And if he was in a bad mood, then everyone had to be in a bad mood. Sobel had them running through drills and the assault course until nightfall. And for anyone who started to grow tired, Sobel would punish them.

All the men were exhausted, there was no doubt about it.

They stumbled, fell and slipped on the wet mud.

Charlotte ended up falling over one of the lower walls.

During her decent, she used her hands to protect her head. But somehow, her pinky got in the way and she could feel it bent to the side. Of course, it was highly painful, but Sobel grabbed her arm and dragged her back onto her feet;

"get a move on!" He screamed, "go! Go! Go!"

Charlotte took a quick look at her pinky and almost vomited.

It was misshapen, she had dislocated it.

But Sobel still wanted her to run;

"move!"

Charlotte had no choice but to keep going.

Though, climbing up a ten-foot wall with a dislocated pinky wasn't easy. In fact, completing the rest of the course was difficult. Her pinky hurt, it looked swollen and sent a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. When she finished the course, Charlotte leaned forward and tried to catch her breath, with the rest of the men. Sobel soon joined them;

"you are all a disgrace!" He screamed, "not only did you embarrass yourselves last night, but you've done it again today!"

The men had to hold their tongues.

They didn't want to say something that would get them into more trouble.

But they were so tempted.

Missing supper that night, the men headed back into their barracks for a much-needed sleep. All except Charlotte, who cradled her hand towards her chest, with a clear look of discomfort. But she was tired, too tired to care about her pinky. All she wanted to do, was curl up into bed and sleep for eight solid hours, before training the next morning.

Of course, that wasn't to be.

It was clear to them, that something wasn't right with Charlotte.

"Let me see". Guarnere said but not unkindly.

Standing by her bed, Charlotte sighed and presented her hand.

There, Guarnere and a few others could see her bent pinky.

"Can you move it?" Guarnere asked her.

Holding her hand up in front of her, Charlotte tried to move her pinky.

But, after she let out a tiny whimper, Moe shook his head;

"okay, don't do that, Lottie". He said.

"Broken?" Muck asked them curiously, with a hint of worry.

"Hope not". Toye mumbled, "could be dislocated".

"Best get it checked, Lottie". Campbell suggested, "come on, I'll take you".

Looking away from her head, she stared up at Guarnere;

"can't you's just put it back proper?"

Guarnere huffed out a nervous sort of laugh;

"fuck no, Lottie". He argued, "nah…get that checked out, huh?"

He then smirked;

"it's fucking gross".

"Get one of our medics". Malarkey said, "Roe's next door with 2nd and 3rd squad".

Jumping out of bed, Bloser rubbed his hands together;

"I'm on it!" He said, "don't worry, Lottie…you'll be training with Sobel tomorrow".

Guarnere smirked, "every line, huh?"

Charlotte snorted and shook her head;

"right". She mumbled, "Is this 'gonna hurt?"

"You want me to lie?"

Charlotte shook her head.

Guarnere sighed, "yeah, it's 'gonna fucking hurt, Lottie".

She tutted, "brilliant". Charlotte muttered, "well…least it's not broke or that, eh?"

"Exactly". Guarnere agreed, "he's just 'gotta pop it back into-"

"ah…stop it". She cut him off, turning pale. "I don't 'wanna hear it, Bill".

"Maybe you should sit down, Lottie". Moe suggested softly.

"Yeah…incase you faint". Guarnere added, with a wink.

Charlotte sent him a tiny glare, while she sat on the edge of her bed.

Her glare then disappeared, while sending her friend a knowing look.

Rolling his eyes, Guarnere uncrossed his arms and sat next to her.

"You're a fucking baby, Lottie".

"Shut up". She mumbled, "I'm not…".

Eugene Roe, 2nd Platoon medic and Bloser walked back into the barrack. The men quietened down a little, while they stepped to the side, letting the medic passed. Roe was kind and had a low and comforting voice. Charlotte liked him but would rather have seen him under different circumstances.

Sitting on the other side of her, Roe gave Charlotte a warm smile;

"alright, Gallagher". He murmured, "let's take a look".

Cautiously, Charlotte showed him her pinky.

And very carefully, he took hold of her wrist and raised it up.

Nodding, Roe could confirm that it was dislocated.

"It'll only last a few seconds". He assured her, "and when it's back into place, you'll feel great".

Biting down on her lip, Charlotte gave him a sharp nod.

"Aye". She mumbled, "eh – alright then, Roe".

His hands reached her hand and Roe looked at her, with the most comforting and reassuring stare he could offer her;

"it's 'gonna hurt, alright? But it won't last".

Charlotte gave him another nod.

"You might 'wanna take in a deep breath…in case you scream". Roe said to her.

Still biting down on her lip, Charlotte looked over at Malarkey;

"put the radio on?" She asked him quietly, "I don't want you's to hear me scream or that".

"Too late for that, kid". Toye reminded her quietly.

Charlotte frowned;

"aye, well. That was different, eh?"

Malarkey nodded, however;

"sure thing, Lottie". He complied, "maybe something good will be on, huh?"

When the radio was turned on, a big band was playing.

Roe lightly took hold of her pinky.

Charlotte sunk in a sharp breath.

And gave the medic a nod, to continue.

The moment Roe gripped her finger and pulled it; Charlotte's eyes widened.

The breath was lost, when she screamed;

"oh, 'ye fucking bastard!"

And when she exhaled, the pain was gone.

Roe, trying to hide an amused smile, bandaged up her pinky.

But Guarnere and a few others were laughing.

And, with tears in her eyes from the intense pain, Charlotte laughed along with them.

Charlotte's pinky would be fine. She kept that bandage on for all of two days before it got too wet and slipped off. She didn't go back to get another one, as her pinky felt fine. And training resumed, it was intense and exhausting. They were close to getting their jump wings and passing this phase of "basic training".

Each day, Easy grew stronger and stronger.

And along with that, the 1st squad got bigger, when another man joined in early October;

William Francis Kiehn. From Olmsted County Minnesota. He had two siblings, a brother and an older sister. Will was a nice guy, like all of the men from their squad. He had good potential like Toye, Moe and Campbell to lead the squad. Of course, it was up to Winters to decide who to put up for the promotion of Sargent.

"He'll be the one who decides". Guarnere told Charlotte, while they cleaned their rifles.

Charlotte ran the rag up and down the barrel;

"Winters?"

"Yeah – the Quaker". He muttered, "why the fuck is a Quaker here, Lottie?"

Frowning a little, Charlotte shrugged.

And Guarnere looked at her for a moment before rolling his eyes.

Sighing, he started to put together his rifle;

"you don't know what a Quaker is, huh?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"haven't a clue, Bill".

"Well". He began to explain, "it's a person who don't believe in war or fighting". Guarnere informed her, "the only reason I know that…is 'cause Pennsylvania is full of them".

"I haven't met one".

"Yeah, you have". Guarnere told her, "Winters – he's the man that's leading us".

Charlotte sighed, "I 'dunno, Bill". She mumbled, "maybe we should ask him?"

Pulling a face, he sharply looked at her;

"Lottie, you can't just ask someone if they're a fucking Quaker".

"How?"

"Cause…they'll kill you".

"But you says they don't like fighting".

Staring at her for a moment, Guarnere then laughed;

"oh, you're funny, Lotte".

Laughing still, he shook his head.

Shrugging, Charlotte put her rag down.

Like always, the radio was on, while the men cleaned their weapons and gear for inspection tomorrow morning. They had made plans to go out into town and get drunk. So long as they passed inspection, which was highly unlikely.

Moe, overhearing Guarnere, shook his head;

"Bill, quit filling Lottie's head with lies".

"Moe, I'm telling you". He stressed, "that man, is a Quaker".

"Then how come he's here?"

Guarnere shrugged, "no idea…why don't you ask him, Moe?"

Rolling his eyes, Moe looked back down at his rifle;

"you're on your own with this theory, Bill".

Lighting up a cigarette, Guarnere looked at Charlotte;

"what do you think, Lottie?"

She shrugged, "I think…we should just ask him".

"Alright, go for it".

Her head jolted up;

"eh?"

Guarnere smirked, "ask him…he'll tell you straight up, I bet".

"How much?" Charlotte asked, "Ten bucks?"

Suddenly, a few other heads looked towards them.

"What's this bet?" Malarkey asked, "ten bucks on what?"

Guarnere looked over at Malarkey;

"that Lottie won't ask if Winters is a Quaker".

Muck grinned, "I bet she will".

"I'm not sure". Bloser said, "Lottie's shy-"

"yeah". Potter chuckled, "she'll stutter and run away".

"She will". Campbell said, "won't you, Lottie?"

Charlotte rubbed her lips together.

While Moe shook his head;

"Lottie, you don't have to do that".

Charlotte, about to respond, was soon cut off by Malarkey.

"Hold up". He said, quickly getting onto his feet, "let's do this proper, alright? Everyone put in ten bucks, the winners or winner splits the cost".

"Solid plan, Malark". Muck grinned, rubbing his hands together, "alright – bring it up, boys!"

Only Muck, Campbell and Toye thought Charlotte would ask Winters.

While the rest didn't think she'd have the guts.

"Alright, Lottie". Guarnere said to her, once the bets were placed. "Once he gets in here, you've 'gotta ask him".

Charlotte, though her heart was racing with nerves, nodded.

"Okay". She whispered, rubbing her sweaty hands onto her trousers.

He smirked and clapped her shoulder;

"looking a little pale, Lottie…".

"Have off". Charlotte mumbled, shrugging his hand off her shoulder, "I'm fine".

And, moments after, Winters and Nixon entered the barrack.

The men straightened themselves up and saluted the Lieutenants.

"Evening, everyone". Winters greeted.

"Evening, sirs!" They chorused back.

"Alright, stand at ease".

Winters made his rounds to each man, checking to see how their progress was going. During which, the other men had to remain quiet and wait their turn. With each passing second, Charlotte grew more and more nervous. As a naturally shy person, she didn't like asking questions, especially in front of others. And Charlotte wondered, just how she got herself into this situation. She had never been a subject to bet on. But she could see why the men would find some humour in it, even if it did make her feel sick to her stomach.

When the Lieutenant's stood in front of her, Charlotte felt small.

Gulping, she stepped to the side, allowing them to inspect her rifle and cleaned gear.

Winters had a hold of her rife and nodded;

"very good, Private". He said, "good job".

Charlotte could feel the stares from her friends.

And she gulped again.

Looking up at Winters, she opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Putting her rifle back down, Winters looked at her, with a raised eyebrow;

"yes, Private?" He asked, thinking she had something to say.

Eyes widening a little, Charlotte shook her head.

Which raised his suspicious more.

Winters tilted his head to the side;

"Nothing?" He asked, "you got your mouth open like a fish, Private".

Charlotte quickly closed her mouth.

Which made Nixon smirk and let out a tiny snort of amusement.

The men doubted she would do it.

Charlotte doubted she would do it.

But eventually, she spoke;

"Lieutenant Winters?"

Charlotte's voiced squeaked with nerves.

"Yeah? What is it?" Winters asked slowly.

Charlotte cleared her throat, "back in Lancaster…well…I had a…a neighbour…I think and-"

Slowly, Guarnere and Moe turned to look at Charlotte.

And the men all stared, eyes slightly widened.

"A neighbour". She whispered.

Winters blinked a few times, "you feeling alright, Private?"

Charlotte nodded quickly;

"aye, sir". She mumbled, rubbing the back of her sweaty neck.

Clearing his throat, Winters nodded for her to continue;

"Alright, what about this neighbour, Private?"

Charlotte's fingers pressed against each other, while she battled against her own nerves.

"Eh – do you…do you know him, sir?"

"Yeah, I know him, Private". Winters replied, "I went to school with his son".

She took in a shaky breath;

"I just wanted to ask why his son didn't enlist, sir?"

"Is that any of your business, Private?" Winters asked her, but not unkindly. He was still confused from her random question.

Charlotte shook her head, cheeks turning a shade of red.

But he eventually told her;

"he's a Quaker, Private. It's against what they believe in. So, they don't enlist".

"So…".

The men seemed to lean in a little.

All anticipating if she'd ask him.

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"so…no one would be one here then, sir?"

Winters, who looked torn between amusement and confusion, replied;

"no…".

"Oh, right". She whispered.

Frowning a little, Winters cleared his throat;

"that all, Private?"

Charlotte nodded, "yeah, sir". She replied quietly, "thanks for answering, sir".

She, Muck, Campbell and Toye lost the bet.

But Charlotte was relieved when it ended.

So much so, that she collapsed onto her bed with a long sigh.

And she promised herself, to never get into a situation like that again.

However, that would prove hard, with Guarnere as a friend.

"Alright, so, we ain't finding out tonight". He told her, with a grin.

Charlotte ran a hand down her face;

"that was mad embarrassing". She mumbled.

"Hey – you handled it well".

Turning onto her side, she faced him.

Guarnere snorted, "yeah, that was a lie, Lottie. You fucking sucked".


	5. Chapter 4

2nd Battalion was the unluckiest Battalion in the 506th.

However, Officers would word it differently;

"we've been chosen to take part in a highly complex and dangerous exercise".

Major Strayer decided that his Battalion needed a two-day field exercise before Thanksgiving, to get his men sharp and better in the field. No one was excited to take part in the exercise, expect a few gun-ho Privates, who claimed it was going to be "exciting". Charlotte wasn't too bothered; she didn't hate the idea, but she didn't get excited about it either.

After a very long march, they soon dropped their gear and dug themselves in.

It wasn't raining that night, but it was cold, with a biting wind.

So far, Charlotte didn't see any danger within the exercise. It was pretty standard and what they were used to. Sobel got them lost because the men misplaced his compass or his maps. It took them longer to catch-up with Strayer, who was leading the march with Fox and Dog Companies.

When they were dug in, Officers handed their men out K-rations.

It was their first taste of the ration.

And it wasn't a very good one.

Charlotte had to gulp a lot of water, to ensure the food stayed down.

Toye found that funny;

"man…you drink like a fish".

Shaking her head, she shuddered;

"that's rank". Charlotte commented.

Toye shrugged, "it's alright, kid. You'll get used to eating this shit".

Reaching into her mouth, she pulled out a piece of mystery meat from her teeth.

Staring at the small chunk of meat for a moment, her stomach rolled.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte cleared her throat and buried it into the mud.

That night, however, someone sounded the gas alarm. Charlotte and all the men quickly sat up, grabbed their gas masks and put them over their heads. It was a moment she'd never forget, as she thought back to her dad and how he might have felt in the trenches, while mustard gas poisoned his men.

And, looking around, the sight of all the men with their masks on, frightened Charlotte slightly.

She slowly moved in towards Toye and waited for the fake gas attack to clear.

In the morning, after a sleepless night, the men marched again.

Towards a field near camp, they were met with a strange sight.

A long stretch of barbed wire littered with blood and guts from a pig.

It was Thanksgiving Day, and they were about to partake in the "hog innards problem".

Crawling into the guts, machine-gun fire flew over their heads, which forced the men to keep every inch of their body into the ground, right next to the blood and gore. The exercise was supposed to prepare them for what was to come out in combat. Charlotte didn't think it was a bad idea but, in that moment, when hog flesh went into her mouth, she thought it was the worst exercise on the planet.

And, being completely disturbed by having raw flesh in her mouth, Charlotte spat it back out and continued through the gruesome scene before her. At the end of the trail, Charlotte got back onto her feet and jogged towards the other men from her Platoon, who were covered in hog guts and blood, much like she was.

Grant sighed, "that was…brilliant". He remarked sarcastically.

"Yeah…happy Thanksgiving". Guarnere muttered.

When they returned to camp, everyone headed straight for the showers. Charlotte almost wanted to shower with her clothes on but decided to scrub them clean after. Wearing her PT gear, she hung up her uniform around the pot-bellied stove.

Exhausted, the men quickly fell asleep that night.

In the comfort of their beds.

With a roof over their heads.

**…**

They had the Sunday off.

However, they couldn't leave the camp as Sobel revoked their weekend passes, officers included. Like always, the radio was on, and men were playing cards or writing letters. The day was meant to lazy, a day where they could rest and recover from a hard week of training. Charlotte had planned to do nothing that day, but her plan quickly changed. For when Guarnere walked over to her, after speaking to Winters and Diel, he stopped in front of her bed;

"you're training today".

Frowning, Charlotte looked up from a book about how to operate a mortar.

"What?" She mumbled, "how?"

"Winters thinks you should get better at sports". He went on, "cause you don't play any and Lottie, everyone plays a fucking sport in Easy".

Biting down on her lip, Charlotte closed the book.

"Alright". She mumbled, "what sport then?"

Guarnere grinned, "Lottie, we're 'gonna teach you how to play baseball".

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head;

"that's 'gonna be degrading".

He chuckled, "don't worry – we'll teach you the basics first…like…how to catch a ball".

Nodding slowly, Charlotte got onto her feet;

"sounds fair". She commented, "aren't those balls like really hard and that?"

Guarnere shrugged, "you get a glove, and besides, you're catching the ball, Lottie. We ain't trying to hit you with it".

Leaving the barrack with Guarenre, they reached a large and muddy field with a few others waiting for them. One of them included Winters, which made Charlotte nervous. She'd have to do well now if their Platoon leader was going to witness this ordeal.

Toye tossed Guarnere the ball, who caught it with ease.

And, instead of embarrassing her, Campbell handed Charlotte the glove.

She slipped it onto her right hand; it was too big.

But that didn't seem to concern her friends.

Standing there, Charlotte watched Guarnere back-up from her.

Frowning, she then called out;

"isn't that too far, Bill?"

"No, Lottie". He called back, "just get ready, huh?"

Sighing quietly, Charlotte "got ready".

She stood there, with one foot in front of the other, gloved hand slightly raised to her shoulder.

"Kid, you ain't fighting the ball". Toye told her off, "you're catching it".

Slowly, Charlotte lowered her gloved hand;

"right". She mumbled, "aye – yeah, you're right".

Charlotte let out a nervous sort of laugh;

"what was I thinking, eh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Toye looked over at Campbell, who shrugged.

"Alright, Bill!" Campbell called, "let's see where this goes, huh?"

Guarnere grinned and aimed his throw towards Charlotte.

Which, of course, made her a little nervous.

When he tossed the ball, it flew right for her and Charlotte, scared, thought the ball was going to hit her. So, she did what any sane person would do; she dove to the ground for cover. The ball flew over her and hit the ground shortly after. Lying there for a few moments, the men were quiet.

Until Winters said;

"try again".

Bending down, Toye grabbed her shoulder;

"get up, kid".

Once back on her feet, Campbell returned the ball to Guarnere.

"Are you 'gonna fucking catch this one, Lottie?!"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte nodded;

"I will, Bill".

"Alright…keep your eyes on the ball". Guarnere told her, "this ball – right here, okay? Don't take your eyes off the Goddamn ball, don't even fucking blink, Lottie".

With her ungloved hand, she gave him the thumbs up.

Huffing out a laugh, Guarnere then threw the ball towards her.

And, just like he said, Charlotte didn't take her eyes off the ball.

She didn't blink.

She didn't look away.

And she didn't raise her hand to catch the ball.

"Ah – shit!" Charlotte hissed when the ball smacked her in the face — hitting her on the gap between her eyebrows, above her nose.

"You idiot, Lottie!" Guarnere said, but with a wide grin.

She was rubbing the sore spot furiously, hoping that would make the pain go away.

Toye, who was also smiling, clapped her shoulder;

"come on, Lottie…you ain't this damn stupid". He told her, "why don't you use the bat instead?"

Hand moving away from the gap between her eyebrows; she looked up at Toye.

Charlotte nodded, "aye…go on then, Joe".

He clapped her shoulder again, "good on you, kid – Jim, give her the bat".

Soon the bat was placed into her hands; he told her how to hold it properly, while Toye gave her a vital pep-talk;

"pretend it's someone you really fucking hate, alright? You 'wanna beat the shit 'outta that person…and get it the hell away from you".

Charlotte shook her head;

"I don't hate anyone, Joe". She admitted softly.

Toye squeezed her shoulders;

"Alright, think of something you hate instead".

Eyes narrowing towards the ball, Charlotte's grip tightened around the bat.

Giving Guarnere the nod, Toye and Campbell moved out of the way.

Ball now in the air, Charlotte followed it's every move.

Like a lion, she is eyeing her prey.

Swinging the bat, she smacked the ball, and it flew far away from her.

Grinning, Toye ruffled her hair;

"good job, kid!" He exclaimed, "what the hell did you bat away?"

Sighing, she looked up at him;

"frogs". She mumbled, "I fucking hate frogs".

Charlotte decided not to try out for the baseball team, but she promised Winters to keep on practicing. And, perhaps, she'd made the team once she was ready. She couldn't catch a ball, but Charlotte was sure she could hit it again with the bat.

Back inside the barrack after supper, Charlotte tossed another letter from her dad into her footlocker. Which Moe took note of, with a raised eyebrow. Charlotte, not noticing his curious stare, sat down on her bed and brought out the book about the mortar gun. Not only did they have to know everything about their own weapons, but it was good to have a piece of knowledge on how to operate every weapon the men used.

"How was baseball?" Moe asked, instead of questioning her on the unopened letters.

Charlotte nodded, "yeah…was fine".

"Yeah? You've got a bruise". He pointed out, with a snort.

Sighing, she shook her head;

"Yeah…well, I'm not good at catching the ball, Moe".

Smiling, Moe said;

"bit of practice, huh?"

"Yeah, maybe".

Looking away from her book, she turned to face him;

"heard from Nancy?"

Moe's face lightened up into a bright smile.

"Sure have". He told her, "she's doing great, Lottie…I'm hoping we get a furlough so I can see her".

"Yeah, that would be good". Charlotte agreed softly.

Smiling still, Moe asked her;

"what about you? How's the old man?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte shrugged.

"No idea, Moe". She told him quietly, "haven't been reading the letters".

"How come?" He asked her, with a tiny frown. "Don't you 'wanna write back?"

"…where the fuck – Lottie?"

Charlotte and Moe both looked towards Campbell, who was searching his pockets.

"You got a light? I've fucking lost mine".

Nodding, she reached into her pocket and tossed him her lighter.

"Keep it, Jim". Charlotte told him, "I've got another going spare".

Campbell smiled and winked at her, "thanks, kid".

Clearing his throat, Moe leaned towards her;

"so, uh…you ain't written to him?"

Looking back at Moe, Charlotte shook her head;

"Nah, he'll be alright, Moe". She mumbled.

"How come you ain't reading his letters, Lottie?"

Sighing quietly, Charlotte sat up and swung her legs around.

Sitting opposite him now, she said;

"last time I read his letter…I felt proper sad, eh?" She rubbed the back of her neck, "I don't 'wanna be feeling like that, Moe. I'll just 'wanna leave".

"I get it". Moe told her lightly, "but, Lottie…you might feel alright if you read one".

"Nah…it's alright, Moe". Charlotte replied quietly, "I'm fine with not reading them the now".

**…**

On the 1st of December, the 506th readied themselves for leaving Toccoa.

They had passed basic training and were moving onto Fort Benning, where they'd jump out of a plane and earn their jump wings, just what they wanted. But when Easy joined the other Companies from 2nd Battalion, it was then announced that they'd be marching to Atlanta, which would take roughly one hundred and eighteen miles. Sink had read an article in Readers Digest, about a Japanese Unit in Malaya that marched one hundred miles in seventy-two hours. Sink decided to prove that his men were better and ordered 2nd Battalion to march.

At seven that morning, 2nd Battalion moved out.

Immediately, the weather greeted them with freezing rain and high winds.

It was a miserable start to the march, and the mud was thick and threatened to pull them under. But they tried to keep up the morale by singing and making jokes. However, the laughter and jokes got lost in the wind and Charlotte couldn't hear much of anything.

They were roughing it in the season of winter. Where water turned to ice, the sky poured with snow and where the rain would turn anyone's skin blue. It wasn't how Charlotte planned to spend her journey to Fort Benning. 1st and 3rd Battalions were packed up into trucks or a train. And of course, she did complain in her head;

_ "why us? Jesus…it's always us". _

But those complaints wouldn't be of any use outside of her head.

Not even Jesus could help them.

Charlotte shook her head;

_ "he never helps us anyway…". _

But it wasn't just the cold which bothered them; they had to carry all of their equipment. Everything they owned, was strapped across their backs and chest. Or, hanging from their shoulders in a musette bag. It hurt Charlotte, but it must have been horrible for the men who carried mortars, machine-guns and bazookas. All she had was her rife and the rest of her gear. Though, it did ache her back and shoulder.

After walking for forty miles, with little breaks, 2nd Battalion stopped in a muddy field for the night. With little shelter to protect them from the wind, they couldn't start a fire and heat up food, or grab some warmth. Charlotte unrolled her sleeping bag, took off her drenched boots and got into her sleeping bag. There weren't enough pup-tents to go around, only a lucky few from their Platoon were given one.

Shivering in her sleeping bag, Charlotte turned on her side.

Toye was staring back at her;

"Lottie". He said, "this…this is fucking shit".

Charlotte nodded, "yeah". She agreed.

Toye sighed, "how are we meant to sleep?"

She shrugged, "not sure, Joe". Charlotte mumbled, "maybe like…not thinking about how shit it is, you know?"

He nodded slowly, "well, what should we think about instead, kid?"

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte searched her head.

And while she was thinking, the men around her settled down and tried to find some sleep. They were exhausted enough to sleep, but the wind and cold kept some awake.

Lying on her back, Charlotte looked up towards the clouded sky.

"I don't have a lot of stories, Joe…I'm pretty boring, eh? I guess I liked being inside too much. I liked to stay in my room and study music or whatever. When I was wee, I wanted to be like this composer and write fucking magic songs…ones that had people in tears, cause it was just that good. But I wouldn't be conducting my music; someone else would be doing it, cause I'd probably get scared if I were on stage…even if my back was turned".

Sighing, she continued;

"anyway…I wrote this wee piano piece when I was eight or something. And I was proper proud of it, so, I go running down the stairs and tell mum…and she just doesn't 'wanna hear it, eh? Cause she's too busy with something else. So, I tell her-"

Charlotte was met by snoring in her right ear.

Frowning, she turned around and saw that Toye was fast asleep.

"You dick". She muttered, with a snort.

By some miracle, Charlotte slept that night and woke up sharp the next morning in a frozen sleeping bag. Frost and ice had settled in during the night, making a home inside their rifles, boots and sleeping bags. And what's more, their feet had swollen up from the cold temperatures. Like most men, Charlotte couldn't put her feet back into her boots.

"Move out!" Sobel ordered.

With blistered feet, swollen knees and aching limbs, the troops marched on. A cold wind bit into their cheeks, while a short snowfall reached them twenty miles into their march. By that point, men were short on water. Charlotte realised this when she found her canteen to be empty, after searching for a drink.

During their next short break, the men huddled around together, facing the same problem.

"What do we do?" Muck wondered, "we don't have water".

"I thought dehydration was a soldier's worst nightmare". Penkala muttered, "they don't seem to give a shit".

"Ain't there a stream close by?" Campbell asked, "can't we use that?"

"Nah – we don't 'wanna risk that". Guarnere pointed out, "might make us sick-"

"and even more dehydrated". Toye added.

Frowning a little, Toye then looked down.

Charlotte was now leaning into his side, eyes closed.

Malarkey sighed, "screw this – I'll get us water".

Collecting their canteens, Malarkey got up and raced across towards a farmhouse, where a woman was offering the men water from a bucket. Remarkably, he didn't get caught. Well, not really. Sobel did see him run back but couldn't make out who it was and of course, no one told him it was Malarkey.

Charlotte let out a little sigh of content, her arms wrapping around Toye's waist.

The man pulled a face;

"hey – wake the fuck up, kid". He demanded, "Jesus Christ".

Eyes snapping open, Charlotte quickly pulled away from his side.

Clearing her throat, she then noticed Malarkey handing her a canteen, full of water.

He smirked;

"Alright, sleeping beauty?"

With a small blush, she took the canteen and had a few sips of water.

The order to move out happened too quickly.

And like yesterday, they covered another forty miles, with thirty-eight still to go.

When Charlotte lay in her sleeping bag, she didn't take her boots off.

It wasn't raining, the snow had stopped falling, but it was freezing.

Teeth chattering, she rolled onto her side and curled up into a tight ball.

And she thought;

_ "Why am I here? I should be in my room, reading". _

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a shaky breath.

She tried to ignore her blistered feet. Many of the blisters had popped, causing exposed and stingy flesh, to rub against her wet socks and leather boots. And if it wasn't her feet, it was her aching back and swollen knees. Every part of her body hurt, even her hair. It reminded her when she caught the flu virus. Where she ached so much that she couldn't move. Charlotte was in bed for two weeks and had to spend three days in a hospital.

Beside her, Moe was asleep and on her other side, Campbell slept.

Sighing, her eyes opened, and she sat up.

"Private?"

Looking behind her, Charlotte spotted Winters.

Sending him a shy sort of wave, she greeted him;

"hi, sir".

Charlotte then lowered her hand;

"sorry for…waving, sir".

Winters eyes lightened a little in amusement;

"You should get some sleep, trooper".

Nodding, her eyes looked down towards the muddy earth;

"I…yeah, I should, sir".

"Can't sleep?" Winters guessed.

Charlotte shook her head, "no, sir".

Winters moved closer towards her, with a tiny smile;

"well, your buddies found it easy to sleep".

Charlotte frowned a little, "I don't know, sir…I was telling them a story and then – well, they fell asleep, sir".

His smile widened a little, "I don't think they were bored, Private".

She snorted softly, "hopefully not, sir".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte said;

"was telling them when I moved to America, sir".

"Yeah?" Winters looked interested, "what was that like, Private?"

She sighed, "well, a bit weird, sir". Charlotte mumbled, "like…New York is massive".

His lips twitched, "sure is".

"And America is huge". She added quietly, "you've got all these States and that…when I got off that ship, I felt proper lost". Charlotte said, "dad told me that it would be fine…cause like, we left after mum died".

Winters frowned, "oh, I didn't know that, Private".

Shrugging, a tiny smile reached her lips;

"I don't really talk about it, sir". She said softly, "cause it's…well, it's a bit sad, eh?"

Staring at her in silence for a few moments, Winters eventually asked;

"what was she like, Private? Your mom?"

Charlotte smiled small, "she was a bonnie wee thing. That's what dad called her. We're not really tall in our family, sir".

Winters smiled, "what about your dad, is he not tall?"

"Nah". She said, with a grin, "he's like, five-foot-five or something, sir. The army must have been desperate when he signed up".

He chuckled, "I'm not sure that's very nice, Private".

"You're all tall, sir". Charlotte pointed out quietly, "I feel like a pea on a mountain".

Winters then said, "I never met your dad".

Charlotte rubbed her nose, "funny, eh? We live across the road from each other, sir".

Smiling again, he nodded.

Winters looked down at her;

"Alright, Private. Get some sleep; we've got a long day ahead of us".

**…**

After an almost sleepless night, 2nd Battalion were back to marching.

Eight or so miles into their march and Charlotte tripped, for what felt like the fiftieth time. Only this time, she fell face-first into the wet and thick mud. The men were too tired to make a joke out of it and ended up pulling her back up instead. Once on her feet, Charlotte couldn't even find the strength to feel embarrassed and muttered a quiet;

"cheers".

Guarnere gave her shoulder a gentle pat;

"almost there, huh?"

"Yeah". She mumbled, "in thirty fucking miles".

He snorted, "man, you're a bowl full of joy today, huh?"

Charlotte wiped the mud off her face and continued to walk.

"Alright, how about a song?" Toye suggested.

No one replied.

Raising an eyebrow, Toye sighed;

"well…alright then".

Smirking, Muck began to sing;

"pains in my feet, pains in my back, pains on my shoulders – pains in my ass".

A few men let out tired chuckles.

"Funny, Skipper". Malarkey mumbled while he limped beside him.

Muck eventually held his friend upright;

"Don, you should be riding in that damn ambulance".

"No way, Skip". Malarkey refused, "we're almost there".

Kiehn nodded towards Charlotte;

"in thirty fucking miles".

A moment of silence went by them.

All they could hear was the sound of their boots, which squelched in the sinking mud.

That was until Potter started to sing;

"pains in my feet, pains in my back, pains on my shoulders – pains in my ass".

Grinning, Muck looked over his shoulder;

"pretty catchy, huh, Potter?"

"Sure is, Skip". Potter agreed with an easy smile, "hey…we should sing that song during every march, huh? Boy, I can't wait to tell the folks back home".

Penkala smirked, "you're famous, Skip".

Muck sighed, "ah…one of my true ambitions in life, Penky".

Malarkey's limping had caught the attention of Winters.

He and Nixon wondered over towards the group of men from their Platoon.

It wasn't surprising to see men limp, but Winters had noticed Malarkey crawling to grab some chow during their first break that day.

"Malarkey". Winters addressed, "why don't you ride back in the ambulance?"

And, like with Muck, Malarkey refused;

"I'm fine, sir. I'll manage".

The corners of Winters lips twitched;

"everyone else doing okay?" He asked, addressing the rest of the men.

"We're peachy, sir". Potter reported back, "did you hear Skip's new song?"

Winters smiled, "yeah…I caught that. Good song, Muck".

"Thank you, sir". Muck beamed, giving the man a small salute.

Smiling still, Winters looked over at Guarnere;

"how's it going, Bill?"

"We're still going, sir". Guarnere replied, with a smirk. "Those Japs don't know what'll hit 'em".

"Either way, we're 'gonna beat their record". Moe pointed out, "we've all done well".

The last twenty miles to Atlanta were on the highway. Marking a horrible march, on their sore, swollen and blistered feet. Charlotte hadn't felt pain like it before, not even after her first run up Currahee. Every man was exhausted, but they made it. It was the greatest moment ever, to be greeted by a parade and a band. Their spines stiffened, all their aches and pains vanished, and they each marched with every bit of pride they all carried.

The march was historic. They made the headlines, and it would become known all over the world. Of course, at the time, Charlotte wasn't aware just how huge that march to Atlanta would become. For she, and everyone else was just relieved that it was over.

Sitting down on the train, which would take them to Fort Benning, everyone let out a sigh of relief. It was over. That horrible and gruelling march. Though the cold, the snow and rain. Those taxing and painful marches and stories, which bored the men to sleep – thanks to Charlotte.

Sitting across from her, Moe leaned tiredly against the window, while Guarnere leaned into her, using Charlotte as a plank of wood, or something comfortable and sturdy to sleep against. When Moe met her stare, he smiled a little, and she smiled back;

"at least we weren't walking alone, Moe".

He nodded, smile widening, "yeah, you're right, Lottie".

Charlotte huffed and shook her head, "that would have fucking sucked".

Facing the window, Moe let out a chuckle;

"hey, Lottie?"

"Aye?"

"Why'd you study music and history?"

Sighing, Charlotte looked back at him;

"I already told you, Moe". She mumbled, "but you and Jim fell asleep".

He smiled, "well…we know you like those subjects".

"Aye, well – I had more to say". Charlotte murmured, "but like – aye, I wanted to be like Beethoven or some mad musician, you know? Cause they're legends in the music world. Just totally belting out these magic tunes all the time…but I bet, they all had a-"

Closing his eyes, Moe pretended to snore.

Sighing, Charlotte looked back out of the window;

"you're all just arseholes".

Opening his eyes again, Moe chuckled, "I'm joking, Lottie…and you're right, Beethoven is a legend".

"That's what I was telling yous…last night". She mumbled, "may as well have been having a conversation with myself".

Moe continued to smile at her, "maybe you've just got a nice and calming voice, huh?"

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte looked at him.

He shrugged;

"well, it got us to sleep, Lottie". He reminded her softly, "that's pretty neat".

Smiling now, Charlotte shrugged;

"well, you's know where I am…if you can't sleep".

Guarnere, who was still leaning into her, grumbled;

"shut up, huh? Your voice ain't sending me off to sleep now…it's keeping me awake".

Pulling himself away from her side, she sat himself up and rubbed his eyes;

"Christ, Lottie". He mumbled, "you're too fucking small…my backs killing me".

"Or". Moe pointed out, "it could be from the march, Bill".

Gurarnere shrugged, "nah…I'm over that pain. It's Lottie's fault now".

Sitting on the seats across from them, Potter leaned forwards and smiled;

"boy, the folks at home sure will be thrilled to hear about this march, huh? I heard it's 'gonna be on all the newspapers, on the front page".

"For all of them?" Guarnere asked, "shit…I hope they got my handsome face".

"It won't matter anyways". Potter continued to say, "3rd Platoon were up in front. They'll get the front page, not us".

Moe gave Potter an assuring smile, "that stuff don't matter, George. We'll be mentioned, huh? And we were all apart of it".

There was a moment of silence, where they reflected on the past seventy-five hours.

Though Charlotte wasn't thinking about that.

Looking up at Guarenre, she said;

"It wasn't my fault". She mumbled.

Pulling a face, he looked back down at her, "what?" He asked, confused. "What wasn't?"

Charlotte looked away from him and stared down at her lap;

"that your back's sore…you arse".

Staring at her for a few moments, Guarnere soon grinned.

"Alright, hey – I'm sorry, huh?"

He nudged her side gently.

A tiny smile formed on her lips, "you're still an arse, Bill".


	6. Chapter 5

Sitting on a bench, Charlotte found herself between Potter and Moe.

They had arrived at Fort Benning, under the impression that airborne physical training was going to be tough. However, 1st Battalion, who arrived earlier than 2nd Battalion, ran circles around the Benning Sargent's. Physical exercise was easy compared to Toccoa, so, when 2nd Battalion arrived, they had moved onto Stage B.

Overall, there were four Stages in airborne training, and each lasted one week.

Charlotte did have the confidence knocked out of her a few times when they had to climb up high towers and jump down with only their harness and a steel cable. Or, during Stage C, where they had to make jumps from two hundred- and fifty-feet towers. Each stage was a constant battle with her nerves, but she always managed to do them. Charlotte didn't know how; it wasn't like she was afraid of heights, but they did make her queasy and dizzy.

And once Stages B and C were completed, they moved onto Stage D;

Their first jump out of a C-47 plane, soaring one thousand and five hundred feet in the air.

It was a clear day; the skies were blue, and the wind was tame. The perfect day for a jump. In her mind, Charlotte thought she had gone insane. Because what sane person, would jump out of a plane if they weren't in any danger? She felt like a fool among her friends, who all appeared calm or excited for the jump ahead. Whereas Charlotte clearly looked nervous. She was pale, and her legs wouldn't keep still. Her knees kept on bumping into Moe and Potter, who didn't seem to mind. But Potter did tell her;

"folks at home won't believe this, huh?"

Letting out a long and shaky sigh, Charlotte reached into her pocket and brought out her cigarettes. Taking one out from the packet, she placed it between her dry lips and lit it up. She hoped smoking would settle her nerves. God, she'd drink another seven beers, if that calmed her down enough to do this.

Potter continued to look down at her;

"did you hear what I said, Lottie? Cause, heck, my folks sure won't believe this…their country boy, riding in a plane. Mom's 'gonna be proud and dad – well, he'll sure to ask me all sorts of questions".

Exhaling, Charlotte looked up at him;

"What questions?" She whispered, meeting his stare.

Potter smiled, "well, Lottie…he'll be wanting to know if we saw heaven today".

Though with a worried and nervous frown, the corners of her lips twitched, creating a tiny smile.

"You're religious?"

"Big-time, Lottie". Potter confirmed, "boy…my folks are 'gonna ask me how a metal thing can take us up there, Lottie. That's just God's Will, Lottie. We was meant to fly".

Taking another drag from her cigarette, Charlotte wished she had strong faith like her friend George Potter had.

"Aye, maybe". She mumbled, with that tiny smile still on her lips.

Smiling more, Potter clapped her shoulder;

"don't you worry now, Lottie". He told her warmly, "God's got a whole plan for you, huh? Heck, he's got a plan for everybody, Lottie. And we've just 'gotta go along with it".

Moe looked at the pair of them;

"you two, alright?"

Potter kept his hand on Charlotte's shoulder;

"we're doing just fine, Moe". He replied, "our folks sure are 'gonna be proud, huh?"

Moe smiled, "They sure are, Potter".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte leaned forwards towards Guarnere, who was sitting across from her;

"Bill, you wanting the rest?"

"Sure thing, Lottie". He said, "I'll take that smoke off you".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte leaned against the wall again.

Guarnere quickly finished off the half cigarette she gave him.

"Nervous?" He asked, "ah – don't answer that". Guarnere said, "that was a stupid fucking question – hey, Lottie. Just don't puke, huh? You'll stink out our plane".

A few of the men chuckled at that, despite their own nerves.

"She won't puke". Moe said, sounding confident. "We're all 'gonna enjoy this. And then, after four more jumps…we'll finally, get our fucking jump wings".

"No more straight-legged trousers covering our boots". Toye added, "it's all uphill from here, boys – girl".

"Exactly". Moe agreed, "it's all uphill".

There was a moment of silence between the two Squads.

While they all processed what they were about to do.

Charlotte didn't like the silence, her nerves fed off it. Closing her eyes, the back of her head lightly bumped against the wall. Muck took out another cigarette, Malarkey started to hum out a soft song, and suddenly, it was like being back in the barrack again for Charlotte.

That was until their jumpmaster came barging into the room;

"on your feet – let's go!"

Eyes snapping open, Charlotte got onto her feet with her friends.

There, they walked out of the waiting area and onto the airfield.

Many of C-47 planes were outside, waiting for them. It was a daunting sight.

Charlotte's nerves kicked up a notch, almost sending her to the ground. Her legs were shaking like jelly, and her stomach rolled around like a spinning top. Since joining Easy, Charlotte always knew this day would happen, but she had never fully imagined just how it would happen, or how she'd feel.

Nerves played a significant role in her emotional state.

As well as adrenaline, which kept her focused on the jump.

Charlotte knew that some men would freeze at the door, and she expected to be one of them. She didn't want to freeze, but it was going to happen because Charlotte was terrified. She wasn't brave or tough like her friends. And sometimes, she wondered how the hell she even survived Toccoa, when she struggled so much. Sometimes, Charlotte still did struggle.

The plane engines roared to life.

Charlotte braced herself for what was to come.

The heavy body moved down towards the runway. And the sound of the engines intensified, while they gathered up power to take flight. Starting off slow for all of three seconds, the plane soon sped down the runway.

She tried to enjoy the feeling of take-off because around her; she could see her friends grinning from excitement. But take-off made her ears hurt and her stomach squeeze with nausea. None of this felt normal, flying in a giant metal box. And Charlotte didn't dare turn around and look out of the window. She didn't want to see how high up they were because soon, they'd have to jump from an even greater height.

Moe placed his hand on her shoulder;

"okay?!" He asked, loudly in her ear.

Charlotte, not wanting to open her mouth, gave him the thumbs up.

Moe gave her an assuring smile, "it's 'gonna be fine, Lottie! I promise!"

Good old Elmer Murray, who was always so kind to everyone.

Charlotte wasn't sure how she was going to handle the rest. With every passing second, she knew she'd have to jump out of that plane soon. Charlotte was visibly shaking from this persistent and intense fear, which had a hold of her body and mind. Her biggest fear was apparent, her chute not opening. Or perhaps it was the thought of using her reserve chute, which was strapped across her chest. Either way, the idea of one chute failing, gave her enough fear to freeze at the door.

And she did.

When the red light turned on, everyone got up and attached their clips to the static line above them. One by one, they called out that the person in front of them was okay for the jump. They had reached one thousand and five hundred feet; the plane circled above their drop zone. And soon, the green light switched on, replacing the red. Charlotte moved up when the first guy jumped out of the plane.

Once it was her turn, she could see nothing but blue skies and some bursts of white.

Breathing heavily, she got into the ready position.

The jumpmaster tapped her on the leg;

"go!"

Charlotte was about to throw herself out of the plane but stopped.

_ "No. No"._ She thought, shaking her head. _"No…don't do it, you idiot". _

The jumpmaster didn't give her any warning before he literally kicked her out of the plane.

Screaming, Charlotte was soon out in the air.

Everything went so quick, for over four seconds, it felt like she was falling at a great speed. Her legs started to kick out, in a wave of panic. Charlotte had stopped screaming because her voice got lost among the cold wind and the prop blast.

Mouth dry and body trembling, she finally stopped running in the air, when her chute opened. Looking up, Charlotte grabbed onto the risers and stared straight ahead, not daring to look down.

"Hey – Lottie!"

Frowning, she looked to the side of her.

Muck grinned, "nice day for a jump, huh?!"

Charlotte felt pressure building up.

Shoulders jerking, she vomited.

Muck chuckled, "Jesus, Lottie!" He exclaimed, "you probably hit Toye!"

Shaking her head, Charlotte vomited again.

"Better out than in, huh?!" Another voice said from her other side.

Muck laughed, "how's it going, Popeye?!"

Popeye looked over at Muck and smiled, "this is great, Skip!"

"Ain't it just?!"

Soon, another man fell slowly between Muck and Charlotte.

"The folks at home sure won't believe this!" Potter said, "this sure is heaven, huh?!"

"I think this is Lottie's hell, Potter!" Muck told him, "but yeah – heaven for us, right?!"

With a groan, Charlotte stopped getting sick.

Lifting her head, she pulled a face;

"it's everywhere!" She told them, "it's on my fucking uniform!"

Muck laughed, "Hey, you think you hit Moe or Toye?!"

Charlotte paled again, "I fucking hope not!"

When the ground got closer, her body readied itself for her landing.

Tucking and rolling, Charlotte landed perfectly on the soft grass. And she lay there for a few moments, not quite believing that she had survived. It felt great to be back on land again.

Her hands landed on the grass, making sure this was real.

_ "I made it"._ She thought.

Charlotte let out a breathless laugh.

"See? She's laughing". Muck pointed out, "come on, Lottie – let's go before we get squished".

She punched the release and took off her chute.

Rolling it up, Charlotte gathered her white canopy in her arms and left the drop zone with Muck, Potter and Popeye. Her legs didn't start shaking again until she reached the rest of 2nd Platoon, who was standing with Winters and Nixon. The two officers had been watching their men make the first jump.

Guarnere saw the state of her uniform and laughed;

"holy cow, Lottie". He said, "and I thought my jump was bad".

Potter gave Charlotte a soft smile;

"now, Bill". He said, "I do think Lottie did good".

Charlotte shook her head, "it didn't". She mumbled, "I froze at the door".

Guarnere raised his eyebrow, "you did?"

She nodded, "aye – that lad had to kick me out".

Charlotte wondered if she would have jumped if that man hadn't of kicked her out. She was annoyed at herself for freezing. It knocked back her confidence a lot and made her fear their next jump. And the next jump was scheduled for that same afternoon. Charlotte raced into the latrines and cleaned the vomit off her uniform. She rinsed out her mouth, tried to get rid of the awful taste and left the latrines.

Outside waiting for her, was Winters.

He smiled, "okay, Private?"

Charlotte's shoulders dropped;

"I'm sorry, sir". She mumbled, shaking her head. "I froze at the door and got sick".

His smile softened, "don't worry about getting sick, Private". He assured her, "but you can't freeze this time, alright? You know what it's like now, there's no need to be scared".

Charlotte walked down the three steps and was soon standing beside him.

A few of her friends were rushing to the mess hall for lunch.

But her stomach couldn't handle anything.

"I understand that it's a little different". Winters said, "but you've 'gotta let training take over. You know exactly what you're doing, trust yourself, Lottie".

Looking back up at him, Charlotte's eyes softened.

He smiled, "did you enjoy any of it?"

She let out a tiny laugh;

"eh…I'll try and enjoy the next one, sir".

Winters clapped her shoulder;

"good". He said, "alright, get some chow".

Charlotte bit down on her lip, while the pair of them walked away from the latrines.

"Think I can stomach it, sir?"

Winters nodded, "I do, Private". He confirmed, "you're not on the plane anymore".

"Alright, sir". Charlotte said, "I'll eat then".

**…**

She didn't freeze at the door for their second jump.

But Charlotte was sick again while coming down. And, to save what little pride she had left, she quickly left the drop zone and rushed into the latrines. Like a few hours ago, Charlotte took off her jacket and cleaned the vomit off from her clothes.

With a cloth and soap, Charlotte scrubbed her jacket hard.

When the door suddenly opened, she looked towards the person who had entered. Charlotte didn't recognise him; he wasn't from Easy. And she didn't think the guy was from their Battalion either. Giving him a tight smile, she looked back down at her jacket and continued to scrub.

He smirked, "good jump?"

Charlotte huffed out a laugh and shook her head;

"better than last time". She mumbled.

The young man moved towards one of the sinks next to her and turned on both taps;

"good for you". He said lowly, "I'm getting booted out".

Charlotte frowned but didn't respond.

She wasn't sure what to say.

Shaking his head, the guy continued;

"ain't my fucking fault…all that hard work…it's gone to fucking waste".

His voice raised, while his hands gripped onto the sink.

Charlotte swallowed and cleared her throat, "you can still fight with the regular army…no?"

He sharply looked at her;

"That ain't the point!" He yelled, voice cracking. "They didn't give me another fucking chance!"

Her heart picked up in speed, and Charlotte stopped scrubbing and instead, thought of a way to get out of the latrines without adding petrol to the fire. Hands shaking a little, she turned off the taps and put down the soap. Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte ignored his laboured breathing and tucked her jacket under her arm.

But he continued to stare at her.

And when she tried to move, he grabbed her arm;

"what do I do now?"

Staring at his chest, Charlotte shook her head;

"I…I don't know". She whispered, "eh – I'm sorry, I-"

"what the fuck do I do?!" He snapped, hand tightening around her arm.

Charlotte continued to shake her head;

"I don't know". She whispered, "I don't know…I don't know…".

Letting out an angry grunt, he pushed Charlotte onto the ground.

Her head knocked against on the of the pipes.

"Fuck!" He yelled, hands going through his hair.

It went silent for a few moments, save their heavy breathing.

Charlotte pressed her hand onto the side of her head and could feel a bump but no blood.

"Jesus, fuck". She whispered, not quite believing what was happening.

Her only intent was to wipe the vomit off her jacket.

The young man grabbed her by the arm and dragged her onto her feet.

There, he placed his hands back on her arms.

His hard stare glared into her eyes, and he roughly gave Charlotte a shake;

"what?! They just want me to pick up and fucking leave?! After all those…those fucking runs up Currahee?!" He then yelled, "I fucking hate that mountain!"

Eyes widening slightly, Charlotte nodded eagerly;

"yeah…it's shit". She agreed, voice barely above a whisper.

"You're damn fucking right it's shit!"

"Hey!"

A new voice soon entered the latrines.

And Charlotte, despite the situation, felt her shoulders sag in relief.

When the latrine door shut, Liebgott marched up to the guy and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him off Charlotte. And with that relief, Charlotte stumbled back and sat down on the ground.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Liebgott demanded, pushing the guy away, "get the hell away from her!"

"My problem?!" The other guy yelled, "what the hell is your problem, jackass?!"

"I don't got a fucking problem!" Liebgott yelled back.

The other guy shoved Liebgott.

And of course, it escalated quickly when Liebgott ended up punching him.

The guy fell into one of the stalls, falling into a toilet.

And he tried to get up, but Liebgott warned him;

"I wouldn't fucking get up…not if you 'wanna live to see the end of the war".

The guy bared his teeth together;

"fuck you…fuck all of this shit!" He yelled, "I'm glad I'm going…fucking ass".

Liebgott watched, while the guy stumbled out of the toilet and left the latrines, with a very wet bum from the toilet water. When the latrine door slammed shut, a moment of silence overcame the room, save the sound of a leaky tap. Rubbing the back of his neck, Liebgott looked over at her.

Charlotte slowly met his stare and didn't say anything.

Biting his lower lip, Liebgott reached down and grabbed her jacket, which was still damp. And despite her efforts of scrubbing the smell away, he could still detect the scent of vomit; only it was mixed with soap. Nose twitching, he looked back at Charlotte;

"yeah…you're 'gonna need something stronger for this one, Lottie".

Raising her head, she looked up at him.

Liebgott gave her a tiny smile, "maybe I can help – but you've 'gotta get up now".

Tucking the jacket under one arm, his hand reached for her.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte took his hand and was soon pulled onto her feet.

"What was his problem?" Liebgott asked her.

Shrugging, she replied;

"he fucking hated Currahee".

Huffing out a laugh, Liebgott grinned, "come on…you fucking stink".

Lips twitching, Charlotte nodded and followed him out of the latrines.

**…**

Charlotte was sitting up on the edge of her bed, cleaning her boots for their Christmas feast for supper that night. It was hard to believe it was Christmas day. With no snow, presents or her dad but they made the most out of it. Tomorrow, they would make their final jump. And very soon, they'd have their jump wings. It was going to be the best Christmas present.

"Hey, tyke". Moe greeted her while messing up Charlotte's hair.

"Moe". She greeted back quietly, "how's it going?"

Grinning, he sat on the bed opposite her.

And cleared his throat.

Looking up, she noticed the chevron on his sleeve.

Charlotte smiled, "you made Sargent?"

Moe nodded, "you're looking at your new squad leader, Lottie".

Putting the rag aside, Charlotte shook his hand;

"Congratulations, Moe". She mumbled softly, "that's well good".

"Thanks, Lottie". He said warmly, ending the handshake, "Toye's my assistant now too".

"Good team". She said, "where did everyone go?"

"Oh, they're at PX". Moe told her, "they're allowed beers before supper".

Charlotte's nose twitched, "aye…I won't be having them anymore, like".

He chuckled, "I didn't think you would".

Picking up her rag again, she resumed cleaning her boots.

"Hey, Lottie?"

"Aye?"

"We're almost there". Moe reminded, "and at least you didn't spew on our last jump".

Snorting softly, Charlotte nodded;

"well…every cloud, Moe, eh?"

Even though the men weren't back home with their family or sweethearts, they made the most out of a Christmas feast in Fort Benning. Since the passing of her mum, Charlotte was used to spending Christmas with friends, rather than family. And she did often think about Harry and wonder if they could still be friends. She hoped to patch things up with him if they ever got a furlough. Rumour had it, that they were to get a ten-day furlough back home. But not until they received their jump wings. Charlotte hoped those rumours were true; she had missed her dad a lot.

**…**

Boxing day became the proudest and most anticipated moment of their lives.

Once those jump wings were pinned onto their uniform, they were official paratroopers and could blouse their trousers. No more straight-legged, it was tucked inside their boots from now on, like real paratroopers. And Charlotte felt as though she was apart of a young boy's dream, of becoming a fierce soldier in the war.

That night, Easy was given a party inside one of the barracks. They had their own bar, where Luz would hand out beers and swing music played on the radio. And all around, men were drinking and having fun. Charlotte was among the happy crowd, who had been roped into drinking with the men. Grant handed her a bottle of beer and three beers later, Toye gave her another one. After her last experience with getting drunk, Charlotte had done well in avoiding getting drunk again. Still, it seemed impossible this time around, where they were all celebrating and created a very addictive atmosphere.

"Twenty bucks, Bill". Grant said, "that you can't finish that beer after ten thousand".

Staring at his friend, Guarnere grabbed his full beer;

"Alright, count me in fellas – Lottie".

When his lips touched the beer, the men around the table started to chant;

"one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand".

"Come on, Bill!" They encouraged, "you've got this!"

"Six thousand, seven thousand, eight thousand, nine thousand-"

Guarnere put the empty glass down;

"hi-ho silver!" He exclaimed.

They all cheered, all expect Grant, who owed Guarnere twenty bucks.

Charlotte raised her head from the table when the money was slammed down in front of the winner. Guarnere grinned and placed the money into his front pocket;

"never bet on a winning man, Chuck".

Grant smirked, "you got lucky tonight, Bill".

He winked, "I'm always lucky, Chuck".

Looking sluggishly between the pair of them, Charlotte smiled a ridiculous smile. Her eyes looked half-closed, while she placed her hand on Guarnere's arm;

"listen". She slurred, "you…you listening?"

Amused, Guarnere looked back at her and nodded;

"always do, Lottie…what's eating you?"

Charlotte sighed heavily, "frogs, Bill…fucking frogs".

"What about 'em, Lottie?"

In the best serious voice, she could muster, she told him;

"in the winter…they die". She said, "but…they come back alive again". Charlotte said, "so, like, they're fucking immortal. And that gives me the fear, Bill".

Chuckling quietly, Guarnere placed his hand on her shoulder;

"you need some water, huh? Man, you're a Goddamn lightweight, Lottie".

She laughed, "no one's ever called me light before, Bill".

Tutting, Guarnere rolled his eyes, "yeah? Well, those people don't know what the fuck they're talking about, Lottie. Look – you ain't a bad looking broad, you know? Sure, your hairs short and I only ever see you covered in mud or whatever but…I bet you're alright all done up, huh?"

Pulling a face, Charlotte leaned back from him;

"you're weird". She concluded quietly.

Grinning, Guarnere clapped her shoulder.

Looking over at Guarnere, Malarkey smirked;

"wait till Frannie finds out about that, Bill".

He glared over at Malarkey;

"Don, shut your yap, alright? I ain't asking Lottie out, but she's a girl, you know?"

"Sometimes I forget". Penkala said, "you know, cause she's around us all the time".

Hands pressing down on the table, Charlotte pulled herself to her feet;

"I don't like talking tonight". She mumbled, "bedtime".

Frowning, Moe looked at her;

"you 'gonna be alright, Lottie?"

Giving him the thumbs up, Charlotte turned her back to her friends and walked towards the door. Nixon and Winters were both standing close to the door. They were talking to each other, one eye always on the men before them.

"Heading out, kid?" Nixon asked her, "you know, Colonel Sink's 'gonna come and see you men soon".

Charlotte stopped walking and looked up at him;

"he is, sir?"

"Sure is". He confirmed, "he's 'gotta congratulate you all, don't he?"

Sighing quietly, she nodded, "that's nice, sir".

Nixon grinned, "ain't it just, kid?"

Charlotte leaned back against the wall next to Winters.

She stretched her arms above her head, before telling them;

"sir? Did you know that frogs die and then come back alive?"

Looking down at her, Winters raised an eyebrow.

Charlotte shrugged, "I don't like those jumpy things, sir".

"Atten-Hut!" Someone soon ordered.

The radio was cut, and every one stood at attention.

Colonel Sink and Major Strayer made their way onto a small platform.

"Well, at ease, paratroopers". Sink told them.

Charlotte and everyone else stood at ease.

"Good evening, Easy Company!"

"Evening, sir!" The Company greeted back.

"Now". Sink continued to say, "parachute infantry is a brand-new concept in American military history. But by God, the 506th is 'gonna forge that concept into victory!"

"Yes, sir!" Charlotte cheered with the men.

"I want you all to know that I'm damned proud of each and every one of you. Now, you deserve this party".

Grant handed Sink a glass of beer.

"Thank you, Sargent Grant". Sink said.

"Sir".

Sink raised his glass, "so, I want you to have fun, and remember our motto; Currahee!"

"Currahee!"

When Sink and Strayer left the barrack, the radio was back on, and the men resumed to drink and enjoy their party. Clearing his throat, Winters looked back down at Charlotte;

"frogs, Private?"

Looking up at him, she met his stare;

"they're immortal, sir". Charlotte warned him, "sneaky wee things".

The party didn't end right away, and Charlotte ended up rejoining her friends and drinking more. At one in the morning, they called it a night and stumbled back into bed. But when the two squads entered the barrack, some men wanted to keep the party going for as long as possible. Moe tried to encourage everyone to get back to bed; he was the less drunken friend, after all.

But Malarkey stuck on the radio, while Guarnere, Toye and Bloser brought out more beers from the inside of their jackets. It was a little silly, considering most of them had a lot of travelling back home to endure tomorrow morning, which was only hours away. Charlotte wasn't thinking about the travel; however, no one was. They were all excited about going home and extremely drunk to care about much else.

At four in the morning, 1st Sargent Evans marched inside the barrack and demanded the party to end. Malarkey turned off the radio, they hid the bottles of beers and got into bed. Charlotte rolled onto her side, facing Guarnere, who was laughing under his breath.

"Evans". He mumbled lightly, "damn Evans, huh?"

"Yeah". Charlotte said back slowly, "what a…what a stick in the mud".

"Go to sleep". Moe told them both, "you've 'gotta get up in an hour".

They didn't seem to care, but Charlotte and Guarnere fell asleep.

And it felt like they had only closed their eyes for a second before Moe and Toye had them both onto their feet. Charlotte, still slightly drunk and disoriented, rolled out of bed and landed in a heap on the floor, her blanket and pillow covering her.

They only had one hour to get ready before they joined the other men heading for Pennsylvania on a bus. During that time, Charlotte managed to knock back a cup of coffee, a slice of toast and wash her face. Now that she wasn't as drunk anymore, the hangover started to set in, and Charlotte felt horrible.

Getting on an overcrowded bus, she took her seat next to Guarnere, who was already sleeping against the window. Practically falling into his side, Charlotte closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Hoping to remain asleep and wake up, feeling slightly better.

**…**

Eyes opening, it was dark inside the bus.

Sitting up, Charlotte looked over and saw that Guarnere was still fast asleep. The bus was emptier now, with men jumping off when they neared their town. Winters, who was sitting across from them, looked over at Charlotte;

"we've 'gotta get off next, Private".

Giving him a nod, Charlotte slipped on her jacket and grabbed her duffle bag.

The pair of them left the bus and Charlotte didn't know where they were, seeing as it was so dark. But Winters knew the way and started to walk down a street. Charlotte walked next to him, keeping up with his long and fast stride. Rubbing her eyes, she let out a tiny yawn and shivered. It had been snowing in Pennsylvania, the roads and streets were white. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Charlotte shivered again.

She had almost forgotten how cold the winters were in the State.

"You almost forget about the winters here, huh?" Winters commented as if reading her mind.

Charlotte snorted, "yeah…pretty cold, sir".

"We're not far". He told her, "only an hour's walk".

She smiled a little.

Charlotte's boots crunched against the snow.

Her footprints stepping in behind Winters.

She felt a bubble of excitement, at the thought of seeing her dad again.

Her pace quickened;

"that's good, sir". She said softly, "is it well late?"

Winters shook his head, "no…we'll be there by ten".

When they reached the familiar neighbourhood, Charlotte saluted Winters, before heading across the road towards her house. Walking up the familiar porch, she knocked on the door.

"Oh, Dick!"

Charlotte heard Edith gush.

"Hey, mom".

Smiling, Charlotte knocked on her front door again.

She could hear Winters close his front door.

Biting her lip, Charlotte took a step back and then noticed that not a single light was on.

Frowning, she walked to the side of the house and entered the back garden; no lights shone through the windows facing the back either. Charlotte's frown deepened, while she moved towards the backdoor and tried to look through the small glass window. But it was too dark to see anything. Sighing, she walked away from the door and thought of what to do next. It was apparent her dad wasn't in, and Charlotte didn't have a key to unlock the door.

Shivering, she made her way towards the front of her house.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte walked across the road and knocked on the Stevenson's door. Their living room light was on, and Harry soon answered. A wide smile reached her lips when she saw her old friend;

"Harry!" She exclaimed, "it's great too-"

"get lost, Lottie". Harry muttered, "what? You came here to rub it in my face, huh? You're fucking cold".

The smile left her face, "I didn't…I wasn't doing-"

"Just leave, Lottie". Harry spat, "I don't 'wanna see you".

"But, wait I-"

Harry slammed the door and locked it behind him.

Sighing, her shoulders dropped.

Charlotte walked away from his house slowly, eyes looking down.

_ "What the fuck am I meant to do now?"_ She wondered.

And then, her eyes landed on Winters house.

But she couldn't possibly. Winters was with his family; it wouldn't be fair on him.

Charlotte looked back towards her house and felt her heart sink;

"where is he?" She whispered.


	7. Chapter 6

Something tickled her nose the next morning.

Charlotte, still half asleep, twitched her nose, trying to get rid of the itch. But it only intensified, when the itch moved onto her forehead. Her hand moved towards the itch and she felt something quickly scurry away from her hand and move down towards her left cheek.

Eyes peeling open, Charlotte looked down and saw a long and skinny leg.

Letting out a yelp, she sat up and swatted the spider off her cheek.

Shuddering, Charlotte pulled the old blanket off her body and got onto her feet. Only to bang her head on the roof above her, reminding Charlotte that she spent the night inside an old doghouse, which had been left inside their back garden when they moved in – blanket included. It wasn't ideal but it beat spending the night outside, without a roof above her head.

Getting back down on her hands and knees, she left the doghouse and crawled back out into a thin layer of white snow. Charlotte rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling frozen and stiff from the cold night.

She was hungry and thirsty.

But above all else, concerned.

Her eyes moved towards the kitchen window. And soon, she spotted a rock by her foot.

Reaching down, she picked up the rock.

Picking up the rock, she threw it towards the window, hoping for the best And a few moments later, the glass broke. A tiny smile reached her lips, while she wondered towards the broken window. Charlotte used her elbow to get rid of the rest of the glass. And she used the bin by the window, to climb up and enter her house through the kitchen window.

Landing on her feet, she gave herself a lecture for not thinking of doing that last night but the lecture inside her head ended, when she shivered. It was colder inside her house, than it was outside. Meaning her dad obviously wasn't home to take care of heating their home. So, instead of looking through the cabinets for food, Charlotte made her way through her dark house and towards the living room, to light the fire.

Her boots creaked across the floorboards; the noise echoed throughout the silent house. Charlotte could see white mist come out from her mouth, with each exhale. Grabbing the frozen doorknob, she opened the living room door. But before her eyes could land on the fireplace, they soon caught sight of a hand, hanging over the armchair.

It was blue and frozen.

Attached to a limp arm.

Charlotte stopped breathing and stared at the hand.

Taking a few steps back, she soon moved towards the front door.

The key was still inside, Charlotte unlocked the door and stepped outside.

Snow started to fall and when she moved off the porch, the snow fell onto her red hair and pale face. Blinking a few times, small snowflakes fell off her eyelashes.

"Charlotte!" A voice called from across the road, "it's good to see you again!"

Her eyes followed the voice;

"Mrs. Stevenson" Charlotte greeted, voice barely above a whisper.

Mrs. Stevenson didn't hear her, but she continued to say;

"sorry about Harry, Charlotte. I'm sure he'll come around".

Blinking, while more snowflakes fell from her eyelashes, Charlotte nodded;

"okay, Mrs. Stevenson".

"Lottie?"

Charlotte's eyes moved towards Winters next, who was standing outside his house.

"Okay there, trooper?"

Charlotte nodded slowly;

"I need…where's the coal, sir?"

"You don't know where to get it?"

She shook her head.

Winters smiled, "alright, I'll show you".

Just as Charlotte was about to leave her front garden, Mrs. Stevenson pointed out;

"your front door, Charlotte". She said, "you wouldn't want your dad to catch a chill now, would you?"

Feeling her stomach tighten, Charlotte jerked her head.

Turning around, she faced her door.

"No…I wouldn't". She mumbled softly.

Walking back up the porch steps, Charlotte closed the front door.

Turning back around, Charlotte made her way down the steps and walked across the road and towards Winters, who was dressed in his regular clothes. He did notice that Charlotte was wearing the same uniform she arrived in but never questioned it.

It was early that morning, Winters had planned to see some college friends, but Charlotte stopped his plans. Not that he minded. But he did find her demeanour strange. She was quiet, as if lost in her own thoughts and Winters did most of the talking while they made their way into town for some coal.

"Fancy some breakfast?" Winters asked, "I haven't eaten this morning".

"Okay, sir". Charlotte responded, as if she wasn't really listening.

Frowning a little, the Lieutenant opened a door and they entered a small café at the end of the street. The café was still decorated for Christmas, with tinsel and golden baubles hanging up on the walls. The woman inside the café, with a bright and welcoming smile, showed the two paratroopers to a table, where she handed them a menu each.

Charlotte's eyes slowly moved towards the words on the menu.

She wasn't hungry, not in the slightest.

But ordered food, despite her lack of appetite.

"Any plans for today, Lottie?" Winters asked.

Charlotte shook her head, "no…I…no, sir".

He tilted his head to the side, staring at her still.

With that same frown.

An older couple who sat across from them, were bickering about the cold weather. It seemed the older woman was finding it hard to stay warm at night, despite the husband's efforts of keeping the house warm all day.

Charlotte was too wrapped up in her own mind, to properly pay attention. But Winters did point out;

"the weather is pretty bad in Lancaster this winter". He said, "it's hard to find some heat".

She knew all too well how cold it was in Lancaster, Charlotte slept in a doghouse.

"My sisters got a pretty bad cold". Winters added, "hope I don't catch it before we leave for Benning".

Charlotte jumped slightly, when the waitress brought over their food.

She poured out two coffees and left the paratroopers to eat in peace.

Looking down at her eggs and bacon, Charlotte felt her stomach churn. Her face must have turned three shades whiter because even Winters thought she looked sick. And he did ask her;

"are you getting that cold, trooper?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte leaned back against her seat.

Eyes looking away from the plate, she soon looked up at Winters;

"sir?"

He looked back at her, "yeah? What is it?"

And he noticed the fear in her eyes.

"My…sir, I need help".

Frowning, Winters asked;

"are you trouble?"

"I don't think so". Charlotte whispered, "but…but I can't go home, sir".

His frown deepened, "why not?"

She shook her head, "I don't 'wanna say, sir".

Sighing, Winters put down his fork;

"well, I can't help you, if you don't tell me, Lottie". He pointed out softly, "it can't be that bad, you can tell me".

Her face pulled into worry and fear once more;

"I…I saw a hand…in my living room". Charlotte whispered, "it was blue, sir".

Winters looked confused, "I don't understand, trooper".

"Like…frozen, sir".

Still staring at her, Winters soon caught on to what she meant.

And he felt something tug at his heart;

"alright". He said quietly, "I'll handle it, alright? Just – wait there, I'll call for help".

Nodding, Charlotte remained seated and waited.

Her head turned towards the window, where she watched people walk by the café.

The snow continued to fall, the clouds were thick and heavy.

And she felt a shudder roll down her spine.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around herself, while her head tried to process what might happen when she got back home. Winters was calling the police to check the house out. And they assured him that an officer was being dispatched to Charlotte's house immediately.

When he paid the waitress the correct amount of money for using her phone, Winters made his way back to the table, Charlotte was still staring out of the window, in a world of her own.

Sighing quietly, he moved towards her;

"Lottie?" He asked, while crouching beside her, "we've 'gotta go back now, alright?"

"Will you…stay with me, sir?"

"I will". Winters promised her.

Looking away from the window, Charlotte stared at Winters.

She nodded, "okay, sir". Charlotte whispered.

They left the café, food untouched and coal not purchased.

The walk back home was short but felt long, because Charlotte's body was heavy, and her legs struggled to move. It was strange and it didn't feel real to Charlotte. Not even when the policeman was standing outside of the house, the front door open.

Charlotte stopped walking, not wanting to take another step forward.

Taking in a deep breath, Winters squeezed her shoulder;

"I'll have a word with the officer, trooper".

She didn't respond.

Letting go of her shoulder, Winters walked over to the policeman.

He asked him lowly;

"what's going on, Officer?"

The man sighed, "Colonel Gallagher has been dead for over a week, Dick. His body froze, so nothing could alarm the neighbours that something wasn't right. I'm not sure what killed him, but his kitchen window is broken, and his front door was unlocked".

Frowning, the Lieutenant looked over at Charlotte.

Winters looked back at the policeman;

"Lottie would have broken in, Officer. And I think she got scared when she saw her dads' hand".

The policeman frowned, "it's sad, Dick. I'll get a team to remove the body. Does she have a place to go?"

Winters nodded, "yeah, she does". He assured her.

"Well, make sure she packs up her things before we seal this house off".

"I will, yeah – thanks, Officer".

Making his way over to Charlotte, the Lieutenant stopped in front of her.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he crouched a little, so they were eye level.

"The policeman is 'gonna take care of everything, trooper. We should collect your things, huh? You'll be staying with me".

Charlotte's eyes remained glued to the snowy ground.

"I don't 'wanna see it, sir".

"You don't have to see anything, Lottie". Winters assured her, "we're just going upstairs".

Her eyes then looked up towards him;

"you'll be there?"

He nodded, "yeah, I'll be there, Lottie".

Charlotte took in a deep breath, while she looked towards her house.

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte gave him a nod;

"okay, sir". She whispered, "let's go".

Keeping a hand on her shoulder, the pair of them walked up the porch steps and entered the house. The policeman had closed the living room, which Charlotte was grateful for, as she didn't want to face the harsh reality of losing her dad just yet.

Leading the way, Charlotte walked up the stairs and entered the second door on the right.

Her room was just as she left it; with an unmade bed, books scattered around the floor and some clothes hanging out from drawers. Placing her duffle bag onto her bed, Charlotte packed her clothes and books. And of course, the teddy her parents gave her for her 1st birthday.

Opening a drawer in her desk, Charlotte brought out a picture of the whole family.

Her twin brothers, mother and father were all smiling in the photograph.

It was taken one week after Charlotte was born; she was fast asleep in her dad's arms.

Feeling tears sting her eyes, she took in a shaky breath and rubbed the tears away.

Zipping her duffel bag, Charlotte shouldered it and looked up at Winters;

"I'm finished, sir".

Giving her a tiny smile, Winters hand was back on her shoulder;

"okay, let's get you settled in, Lottie".

Walking away from her room, Charlotte knew it would be the last time she'd ever see it again. Head bowing, she made her way down the stairs first, with Winters right behind her. And, once she reached the bottom step, three men brought out a stretcher, with her dad lying there, as stiff as a rock.

"Goddammit!" The policeman yelled, "cover the body up – for Christs sake!"

One of the men pulled a face, "shit – sorry, sir".

"Idiot".

But before the man could do that, Charlotte stood by her dad's body.

Her hand moved towards his, which felt frozen like ice.

Bottom lip quivering, Charlotte's hand left her dad's and she gave the policeman a nod.

"I'm sorry, kid". He told her, "call the station if you have any questions. I'll be in touch".

Taking the white sheet from one of the policeman's arms, Charlotte gently and carefully covered her dad up, making sure the sheet was tucked in and wouldn't blow away from the wind outside. Once her dad was covered up, Charlotte look a step back next to Winters.

And the pair of them watched, while the officers took her dad's body away.

**…**

Mr and Mrs Winters were happy enough to have another person living with them.

Of course, they were both saddened to hear of the circumstances which brought Charlotte to their house that afternoon. And, to save Charlotte the extra weight, the Winters sorted out a place to bury her dad. Alexander wasn't an overly religious man, but he'd want to be buried in a churchyard, just like his wife was. Preferably, Alexander would have wanted to be buried back in Scotland, but Charlotte couldn't afford to have his bodied shipped over to Scotland, she only had enough money to pay for a casket and a small ceremony.

All of Alexander's friends across America were informed of his death. It was a small service, with just close friends and of course, Charlotte, the only living relative. The service was held three days after his death, seeing as Charlotte had to head back to camp shortly. The Winters came to the service, offering Charlotte their support.

It was an incredibly sad day for those who knew Alexander well.

And when it ended, Charlotte didn't want to stick around.

She didn't want to drink or eat food friends had made. She wanted to go back to the Winters and sit in a quiet room for a while, to work out what to do next. But of course, her Lieutenant assured her;

"you don't have to do anything, Lottie". He said.

Charlotte could appreciate his kindness because she had no where else to go. With no other living relatives, Charlotte relied heavily on Winters and his parents for a roof over her head and food in her belly. Not that she could eat much, much to Edith's worry. Charlotte spent most of her time inside Winters room, where Edith had set up a small camp bed for her.

Winters didn't mind sharing his room with Charlotte.

And of course, Charlotte didn't mind staying with him.

But he did manage to persuade her into leaving the room one day.

Putting on her coat and boots, Charlotte followed her Lieutenant outside.

The weather was still snowy, meaning they'd have to leave tomorrow morning for Benning.

Winters little sister, Ann, was playing out in the front garden with her friend from school. They were building a snowman together. Using Richard's old scarf and hat as items of clothing, coal for his mouth and eyes, and of course, a large carrot for his nose. They had both done a wonderful job.

Charlotte had no idea where Winters was taking her.

But he had packed a few items in a large duffel bag, while was slung across her shoulder.

The pair of them walked through town, passing shops and people who they recognised on the street. It wasn't a long walk; they reached their destination ten minutes later. But all Charlotte could see before her, was a large and snowy field. Winters turned to look down at her;

"it's a baseball field". He told her, "I used to come down here with my buddies from school in the summer". Winters then added, "thought we could work on your skills for try-outs".

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked back at him;

"but…I'm shit, sir".

A small but amused smile reached his lips, "so, we'll practice, Lottie".

Rubbing her lips together, she shrugged and then nodded;

"alright, sir".

Smiling more now, Winters took off his duffel bag and brought out a glove, ball and a bat. Handing Charlotte the glove, she placed it on;

"hand up in the air, I'll take care of the rest".

Giving him a nod, Charlotte stuck her hand up in the air, while Winters moved away from her with the ball. He nodded;

"good". He told her, "you'll catch this one, watch".

Gloved hand still in the air, Winters threw the ball.

A few moments later, the ball landed perfectly into her glove.

And she snapped it shut.

Looking up, Charlotte's eyes widened a little.

She looked back at Winters, who was grinning;

"see? You got it, Lottie".

Biting her lower lip, her hand lowered, and she took the ball out of her glove.

"Throw it back to me". Winters told her.

Charlotte shook her head, "I don't know how, sir".

"Swing the ball forward, once it gets to your ear, throw it".

Biting her lip, she looked down at the ball and nodded.

"Good". Winters said, while he put on his glove, "now, look for your target, just like in rifle training. Your new target is my glove. Don't take your eyes off my glove".

Charlotte's eyes moved towards his gloved hand.

Placing one foot forward, she swung her arm and threw the ball.

It wasn't perfect but Winters could still catch it.

He smiled, "great!" He told her, "alright, I'll throw it back to you – catch it".

Preparing herself, Winters threw the ball and Charlotte caught it this time.

A tiny smile reached her lips, while she looked towards her Lieutenant for approval.

Winters smiled back, "good job, Lottie. See? It ain't so hard, is it?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte tossed him the ball back;

"nah, it's fine, sir".

"Great". Winters caught the ball, "well, let's keep tossing the ball, huh?"

Throwing the ball back to her, Charlotte caught it.

They threw the ball for a few minutes, talking about baseball and nothing else.

Until Charlotte said;

"it's not huge back in Scotland". She told Winters, "we've got cricket and rounders. But I didn't play those sports". Charlotte then added, "dad was a huge football fan…or soccer here".

"Yeah?" Winters asked, "did you like football?"

Charlotte shook her head, throwing the ball back to him;

"nah, not really". She said, "Stewart and John did though…they're both huge Hibs fans. Not like my dad, he was a Rangers supporter".

"What about your mom?"

Charlotte snorted, "she liked Celtic". She mumbled, "mum and dad had a lot of arguments over bloody football, sir".

Winters smiled, "I guess those teams don't get along?"

"Nah, the fans each other, sir". Charlotte said, "don't know why…something about religion or something stupid".

"I take it that's why you don't like soccer?"

She shrugged, "don't see the use in hating things like that, sir". Charlotte mumbled, "it's a waste of time, if you ask me".

"Good choice". Winters agreed, "no point in arguing over that".

The ball landed in her glove, Winters asked;

"so, before Easy, you didn't play sports?"

Charlotte shook her head, "nah…I liked being inside".

He snorted, "must have been a big shock for you coming to Toccoa, Lottie".

"Aye, it was, sir". Charlotte agreed before throwing the ball. "I think my dad, he – he didn't want me to go". She admitted, "but…he let me join anyway".

Winters looked down at the ball before lifting his head.

Charlotte continued to say, "I missed him loads, sir, in Toccoa. And I couldn't read any of his letters". She blinked, when her eyes started to sting, "cause I missed him. But what if…what if he said that he wasn't well in those letters? What if he needed my help?"

Head tilting to the side, Winters soon let out a sigh and walked over to her.

Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away.

Winters frowned, "even if he did mention he was ill, trooper, you couldn't have done much to help him while you trained".

Sniffing, she looked up at him;

"mum died like that…like, suddenly and that". Charlotte mumbled, "and I'm just like confused and a bit sad sometimes still".

Nodding, Winters placed his hand on her shoulder;

"I lost my Grandmother when I was twenty. It was really hard to move on from losing her, Lottie. And I struggled to concentrate at college but though I miss her, the grief of losing her heals and it'll heal for you too". He said, "you'll never stop missing your dad, Lottie. But it won't hurt as much one day". Winters then added, "and don't feel bad if you feel sad, alright? It's only been a few days. It's 'gonna take some time".

Wiping the rest of her tears away, Charlotte nodded;

"cheers, sir".

Smiling, Winters clapped her shoulder;

"'wanna play some more ball?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye, sir". She replied, "I like it".

They tossed the ball back and forth to one another under it got close to supper time.

Both feeling hungry, the pair of them walked back home and were greeted with a warm house and the smell of Edith's cooking. Taking off their boots and hanging up their coats, Winters and Charlotte walked into the small dining area and sat with the rest of the family, where they enjoyed roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables.

"Were you playing baseball all day?" Richard asked his son.

"We were, dad". Winters replied, "Lottie's getting better. I think she'll try out for the team one day".

Edith beamed at the girl, "oh, that would be perfect, Lottie. Sport is so good for the body and the mind. I always told your Lieutenant that".

Winters chuckled, "you did, mom. And I encourage my men and Lottie, to get involved with as much sports as possible in camp".

"Ann's going to start ballet". Edith announced, "I can make the costumes myself, I just need to purchase the shoes".

"I'll take care of it, mom". Winters said, "it's the least I can do".

His little sister smiled, "thanks, Dick".

Richard looked over at Charlotte and noticed that she was eating.

Smiling, he looked at his son and then Edith.

Edith smiled back, "it looks like baseball was a good idea today".

After supper, they all sat around in the living room for a couple of hours in front of the fire while Richard played the piano. Edith, Winters and Ann sang along to a song Charlotte hadn't heard before, but it was a hymn of sorts. She sat and listened to the family of four sing softly. It was new to Charlotte; her family never sang together.

Staring back into the fire, she felt tears burn her eyes.

Charlotte felt the grief pressing into her once again. She missed her parents and her brothers and sometimes, the life they left behind in Scotland. However, Charlotte was happy in Easy because she had made close friends and if she didn't know Winters, then Charlotte didn't know where she'd be.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Charlotte looked up.

Edith smiled, "your Lieutenant tells us you studied history and music, dear".

The music had stopped, as did the singing.

Charlotte frowned a little.

"We'd love to hear you play, dear". Edith said.

Her eyes then moved towards the black piano, which Richard sat in front of still.

Charlotte, not saying anything, got onto her feet.

Moving towards the piano, Richard got up from the stool and let her sit down.

Sitting down, her fingers lightly pressed against the polished and shiny black and white keys. Charlotte, staring down at the keys, thought of something to play. Thinking back to all those compositions she had learnt on the piano, one stuck in her head.

And, starting off loudly and strong, she began to play, Rhapsody No.1 in B Minor, by Brahms. It wasn't a particularly easy piece to play on the piano, especially without the music in front of her but it was the first song which came to her head. As a child, she always wanted to learn that song because it was such a challenge and she could appreciate that when it came to composers.

Charlotte didn't think about stage fright, or the fact that her knees shook slightly because her mind was purely focused on trying to play the piece of music perfectly. It was almost nine minutes long, she moved from loud to playing ever so soft, frequently. And she sat hunched over, fully concentrating on stretching out her fingers and hitting each note and chord.

But she played, as if she had been wanting so desperately to play for years.

Like her piano had been locked away in a room and Charlotte finally had the instrument again. It was like her mind was possessed by the song and everyone around her, vanished, while she sunk further and deeper into the music.

It was both impressive but frightening.

And when Charlotte finished hitting those last notes, it was quiet.

Like a storm had ended and the night fell.

Hands shaking and fingers trembling, they left the keys and fell into her lap.

Breathing heavily, Charlotte's eyes remained focused on the piano still.

A smile reached Winters lips and he clapped, shortly followed by his family.

Charlotte jolted back into the land of the living.

She sharply got onto her feet.

Winters stopped clapping and placed his hand on her shoulder;

"now, if you played ball as good as you play piano…you'd play like the Great Bambino".

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked up at him;

"who's that, sir?"

**…**

Early the next morning, Winters and Charlotte packed up their things and headed towards the bus station, one hour away from Lancaster. Richard dropped the pair of them off, saving them the trouble of walking in the snow that morning. And before they left the car, Richard told Charlotte;

"you're welcome back". He told her, "we'll take care of you now".

A tiny smile reached her lips, "thank you, Mr Winters".

He then added to them both;

"try and write back, alright? Dick, your mom worries".

"I will, dad". Winters promised him.

After a short goodbye, the two troopers left the family car.

When the bus arrived, Charlotte got on and sat next to Winters. She could hear a few familiar voices in the seats behind her, such as Guarnere and Albert Blithe from 1st Platoon. And she could hear Toye as well, who was sitting across from her.

It felt good to hear their voices again.

"Lieutenant Winters". Toye greeted, "Lottie".

"Hey, Joe". Winters greeted, "enjoy your break?"

"Yeah". He replied, "felt good to see the family again".

Charlotte looked over at her friend;

"hey, Joe?"

"Yeah?"

A tiny smile reached her lips again;

"I'm 'gonna play ball like the Great Bambino".

Grinning, Toye reached over and ruffled her hair;

"I'm sure you will, kid".


	8. Chapter 7

Sitting in a nice and spacious barrack in camp Mackall. 1st squad and the mortar squad were stripping down and cleaning their weapons for a planned jump and field exercise the next morning. Smoke filled the air, as did the music playing on the radio. It was relaxing, cleaning their weapons and they spoke quietly to the guy opposite them.

They had arrived in Mackall in the spring, once training in Benning finished.

Charlotte was glad to be leaving Benning, especially after what happened when they got back from their furlough after Christmas. Sink held a Regimental Parade, where the men who were late in returning back from their leave, were drummed out of the airborne. Their jump wings were ripped from their uniforms and two Sargent's escorted them towards a jeep, armed with machine-guns. It was hard to watch.

But camp Mackall was heaven for the men.

They had warm barracks, fresh sheets and good food.

Though, they hardly saw their beds, for training got more complicated with more movements and tactics to learn. It was very combat-oriented. Charlotte was never bored, they always had something to do.

"So, Lottie". Guarnere said, "you ain't 'gonna tell me what you was doing in Lancaster?"

Charlotte shrugged, "didn't do much, Bill – how?"

"Cut the shit, Lottie". He said to her lowly, "I know something happened".

Frowning, she looked up from her weapon;

"how do you know?" She mumbled, staring at him.

"Cause…I 'dunno, Lottie. You've changed, is all".

"I have?"

"A little".

Still staring at him, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…I didn't change, Bill". She mumbled softly, "I just – I 'dunno. It got complicated".

"Complicated how?" Guarnere asked, lowering his voice more.

Shaking her head again, Charlotte looked down at her rifle;

"dad's dead". She whispered.

Guarnere frowned.

He wasn't expecting her to say that.

"I broke into my house and…I found him, so". Charlotte sighed, "yeah – it's…that's just it".

His frown deepened, "shit, I'm sorry, Lottie-"

"ah, don't say that". Charlotte muttered, "I heard it for an entire day…it's piss annoying".

Continuing to stare at her, Guarnere said;

"well, how about some smokes? I got a spare…you want a packet?"

Looking back up at him, Charlotte watched her friend reach into his pocket and bring out a packet of cigarettes. He then placed them next to her.

"Cheers". She whispered, lips twitching.

Smiling small, Guarnere clapped her shoulder;

"you got a place to live, Lottie?"

Charlotte nodded, "eh – aye, I do".

"Alright, good". He murmured, "yeah, that's good, huh?"

Clearing her throat, she changed the subject;

"been working on my ball skills".

Guarnere's smile brightened, "yeah? How's that going, Lottie?"

"Aye, great". She replied softly, "I'm 'gonna try-out for our team".

"Well, we do need another player, Lottie. You think you got what it takes?"

Raising an eyebrow, she looked back down at her rifle.

Sighing, she shrugged;

"maybe, yeah".

Guarnere smirked, "our little Bambino, huh?"

Snorting, Charlotte shook her head, "don't compare me to Babe Ruth, Bill".

"So, you know who we talk about now". He said, "good start, Lottie".

Just then, the barrack door opened.

And a new guy walked inside.

The men all looked towards the new guy, while Muck slowly lowered the music until the radio was switched off. With thick tension in the room, the new guys smile slowly fell from his face. The Toccoa men took in long and slow drags from their cigarettes, creating a very Western movie feel inside the barrack.

Slowly, Toye got up from his bed;

"who's this, fellas?"

"No idea, Joe". Guarnere replied, "must be some kind of…outsider".

Muck hissed threw his teeth, "we don't take kindly to outsiders, boy….".

The new guy raised his eyebrow;

"what…what's going on?" He sounded confused, "why are you all acting weird?"

Toye barked out a forced laugh, "hear that, fellas? The outsider thinks we're weird".

Shaking his head, Moe got up;

"boy…you've really done it now, outsider".

"You popped the bubble-

"you've made some fine enemies inside this barrack here, outsider".

Potter, sending the new guy a hard glare, said;

"boy…the folks at home sure don't 'wanna hear about an outsider".

"Fucking outsider". Bloser spat.

Sighing, Charlotte looked up from her rifle and towards the new guy.

Giving him a tiny smile, she asked;

"what's your name?"

He caught her stare, "Eugene Jackson".

"I'm Lottie". She replied softly, "are you in 1st squad, Jackson?"

He nodded, "that's right – are you?"

"Aye". Charlotte replied, "and don't mind these fannies…they're just playing you on, Jack".

The men all let out a collective sigh.

"Dammit, Lottie". Bloser groaned, "you know…I was doing well for the first time".

"Gigs up, Rob". Malarkey smirked, "but yeah, your acting's getting better".

Bloser grinned, "Broadways calling my name, Don. Can you hear it?"

"Nope". He replied, "how's it going, Jackson? Welcome to camp Mackall".

"Did you meet Sobel?" Toye asked, shaking Jackson's hand.

"Uh – yeah…just for a second". Jackson replied, "he's – uh – he's different".

"He's an asshole". Guarnere said, "and a chickenshit. We're trying to get rid of him".

"How's that working out for you?"

"Fucking terrible". Kiehn muttered, "the asshats still here".

Charlotte nodded to the bed behind her, "that beds free, Jack".

Smiling, Jackson walked towards the empty bed and put his bag down.

Turning around, Charlotte asked him;

"where are you from?"

"Arnold, Pennsylvania". He replied.

"I'm from Lancaster".

Jackson smirked, "you don't sound it, Lottie".

"Well…I moved to Lancaster". She mumbled softly, "I like living there".

His smirk softened into a smile, "how old are you?"

"Eighteen – you?"

"Twenty". He replied, "you got any brothers or sisters?"

Charlotte cleared her throat, "not really – you?"

"Uh – yeah…brother and a younger sister". Jackson frowned, clearly confused by her answer and he looked over at Guarnere, who was staring back at him. Eyes widening a little, he looked away from Guarnere and back at Charlotte, who resumed cleaning her rifle. "So…Winters tells me we're jumping tomorrow?"

"Aye, we are". Charlotte responded quietly, "got a field exercise, in the defensive position. But don't worry, Jack. We've got Tipper on the case".

Jackson looked confused again, "who?"

"Oh, he sorts out Sobel's maps and that". She said, "but he's 'gonna mess it all up, so the Black Swan gets lost".

"We're hoping if he fucks up again, he'll get tossed out of Easy". Guarnere added, "but Sink and Strayer seem to like the fucking duck".

"Why'd you call him the Black Swan?" Jackson asked them curiously.

"Cause he runs like a duck". Muck told him.

He grinned, "really?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…he runs like a duck".

The radio was turned back on, men continued to clean their rifles and talk among themselves. Bing Crosby was playing, a man who could pull on anyone's heart strings with his smooth voice. Charlotte's included, who only started liking Crosby when she joined Easy.

"Christ, Lottie". Guarnere muttered, "he's twice your age".

Frowning, Charlotte looked over at her friend;

"shut up, Bill…Bing Crosby is magic".

She then added;

"and I bet…that I'll meet him one day and I'll write him a song".

Guarnere's eyes lightened in amusement, "yeah? You think that'll happen?"

Charlotte shrugged, "why not?"

"You're right, Lottie". He said, "that man would be lucky to have you writing his songs, huh?"

"Exactly".

Guarnere smiled, "I don't think he'll sing opera, Lottie".

"I know". She mumbled, "so, I'll write a jazz piece".

"Ah – but, you get stage fright, don't you?" He pointed out.

Charlotte smiled a little, "not anymore, Bill…I played for a few folk during our furlough".

Guarnere smiled again, "no shit, really?"

She nodded, "aye, was piss easy, Bill. I just sat there and played, eh?"

"Good for you, Lottie". He told her softly, "so, uh – you 'gonna let us hear you play?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte looked back down at her rifle;

"maybe one day, Bill".

**…**

Taking in a deep breath, she rubbed her right cheek.

"Alright, stand up". Moe ordered her.

After a few attempts, Charlotte shook her head;

"I can't".

Sighing, Moe reached down and grabbed her arm.

"Okay, I'll pull you up". He said, "one…two…three".

With a grunt, Charlotte was soon standing on her feet.

On top of her chute and reserve chute, Charlotte and the men had all their gear and weapons to carry with them for the jump. And standing up was difficult but remaining standing, was proving to be difficult too.

With a tiny scream, Charlotte fell forwards into Moe's arms.

"Jesus". He huffed, "Christ, Lottie".

"Sorry". Came her muffled apology into his stomach, "I weigh a ton".

"It's fine". Moe said, voice lightened with amusement. "Come on, let's get on this plane".

It took a lot of shoving and dragging for the men to get onto the plane safely. And once inside, they all sat down and tried to get as comfortable as possible, which was near impossible with all their gear. Charlotte was squished in beside Moe and Winters. She had no idea, that she was second to jump but it didn't seem to bother her, even if her body hated it.

Charlotte wasn't a good flyer.

Her stomach hated the sensation of being up in the air and jumping out of a plane. But one of their medics, Roe, had kindly givedn her some tips on breathing to help ease the nausea. And with Roe sitting opposite her, Charlotte gave him the thumbs up, while she took in a deep breath threw her nose and exhaled out of her mouth.

Winters looked down at her with a smirk;

"don't vomit on me, Private".

Looking up at him, Charlotte gave him a sheepish smile, "I won't, sir". She told him, "doc gave me some proper good tips".

"Well, I hope you follow them".

"To the dot, sir". Charlotte promised, "I don't 'wanna get sick again".

"Good". Winters said, "how's baseball going, trooper?"

"Aye, grand, sir". She replied easily, "am 'gonna practice with the team on Sunday".

"That's good". He approved, "when do you plan on trying-out?"

Charlotte sighed, "well…I guess when I get better at batting, sir".

The conversation was cut short, when the engines roared to life.

Soon, the flock of planes each took a turn down the runway and took-off into the sky. Charlotte breathed in deeply, trying to keep her mind distracted from her queasy stomach, while the men around her sat relaxed, waiting for the red light to turn on.

Looking up from her lap, she caught Roe's stare and he smiled.

Charlotte gave him a tiny smile back.

Soon, the red light turned on and once everyone was ready, the light turned to green.

Right after Winters, Charlotte jumped out of the plane. Like last time, the first few seconds were frightening but things calmed down, when her canopy opened, and she slowly moved down towards the grassy field below her.

Landing normally, Charlotte rolled up her chute and left the drop zone.

She jogged over towards Winters, who was with Nixon and the a few men from his stick, Grant included. Charlotte stood next to Grant and gave him a tiny smile;

"hey, Chuck".

"How's it going, Lottie?" He smiled back, "was Bill behind you?"

She shook her head, "nah, Moe was".

Soon, Popeye, Moe and Liebgott jogged towards them.

"I was trying to catch up with you, Chuck!" Popeye exclaimed, "you got bricks in your pockets?"

"That big head of his was dragging him down, Pop". Liebgott joked.

When Easy was assembled, they marched into a big and thick forest. Sobel, along with Tipper, were at the front of the Company, navigating their way around the forest. Which of course, was taking them into the wrong direction. Sobel didn't know, only his men did.

Every now and then, the men would share a smirk, or a knowing smile.

When it reached later in the afternoon, they were well and truly lost.

Sobel ordered his men to dig in for the night.

"He belongs in the Goddamn circus, not the army". Guarnere muttered to Charlotte, "anyone would know they were lost, Lottie…what the hell is leading us into combat?"

Charlotte shook her head, while they dug a foxhole.

"I 'dunno, Bill". She mumbled, "it's a bit…scary, eh?"

"A bit?" He raised an eyebrow, "Lottie, that man is 'gonna lead us into combat. And he's the jumpiest fucking guy I've ever met in my life. I ain't ever met someone so damn nervous".

Sighing, Charlotte stopped digging and rubbed her right cheek, for what felt like the one hundredth time that day. Guarnere never missed a thing. Charlotte didn't know if the man was nosy or just highly observant. Either way, he said;

"what's wrong with you? This hole ain't 'gonna dig quick with just me doing the work".

Letting go of her cheek, Charlotte took back her shovel.

"My tooth's bugging me". She mumbled, "it's well sore".

"Jesus". Guarnere hissed, "Lottie, toothache is murder. You should have told a medic".

"Doc can do something?"

"Nah, he's not a dentist, Lottie". He said, "he'd probably tell you to see one".

Sighing, Charlotte looked down at the wet mud and frowned.

"Well…is there a dentist here, like?"

Guarnere chuckled, "Lottie…we're in the middle of fucking nowhere. What do you think?"

"Eh…no?"

"Correct". He said, "so, you'd best suck it up, Lottie".

Charlotte sighed again;

"why's it always me?" She mumbled.

Guarnere smirked, "well, Lottie…you've been inside all your life, huh? And now, you get to see what life's really like. It's hard, sore and a pain in the ass".

Charlotte shook her head, "but I've never had toothache before, Bill".

"That's cause you've always ate right and was well looked after".

Frowning again, she said;

"I'm a fucking arse".

"Nah…you were soft, Lottie". Guarnere told her, "but you're getting tough, huh?"

"No, I'm an arse, Bill". Charlotte muttered, "I'm a stupid girl, who didn't even go camping before I joined Easy. And I didn't even know how to throw a ball, Bill – a fucking ball".

Smiling small, Guarnere nudged her arm;

"alright, true". He agreed, "but you can do all those things now, Lottie".

Frowning still, she looked up at him;

"aye but…but now I've got toothache, cause I've probably gone and fucked it up again".

"Lottie". He chuckled, "Jesus – you're breaking my heart, kid. Listen…you ain't fucking up".

Guarnere tossed his arm around her shoulders;

"you're doing good, Lottie. And I ain't just saying that to make you feel better – you baby".

Rubbing her cheek again, she nudged his side with her left elbow;

"shut up, Bill". Charlotte mumbled, "I'm not even sad or that".

"Quit fucking pouting then, alright?" He smirked, giving her arm a squeeze, "now, help dig this fucking hole, Lottie. It's a pain in the ass".

Smile forming on her lips, Charlotte started to dig again.

Guarnere watched her for a few moments;

"Lottie?"

"Aye?"

He smiled, "you ever get sick of the people you're living with now, you can stay with me".

Charlotte huffed softly, "Frannie won't like that, Bill…aren't girls weird like that?"

Guarnere shrugged, "it's different, Lottie".

"Aye, suppose it is, eh?"

"I don't 'wanna fucking marry you".

An amused but confused frown met her face.

Charlotte looked up at him;

"I don't 'wanna fucking marry you either, Bill".

Guarnere smirked, "I want a girl to wear a white dress, not walking down the aisle covered in fucking mud".

Charlotte shrugged, "you're not pretty enough for me, Bill".

He huffed out a laugh, "no?"

She shook her head, "nah…".

"What sort of guys do you like?" Guarnere asked curiously.

"Dunno". She mumbled, "not been looking".

"What? At guys?"

"Eh?"

Charlotte jerked her head towards him.

Guarnere raised an eyebrow and continued to look at her.

Clearing his throat, he eventually said;

"come on, we're almost finished".

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte's fingers drummed against the entrenching tool.

"Bill, I-"

"Lottie". He said lowly, "I don't care, alright? And I didn't hear nothing".

She cleared her throat, "nah…but – I didn't even explain, I'm-"

"look". Guarnere sighed and stopped digging to stare at his friend again, "I know you ain't crazy, Lottie. And I don't stick my nose in and judge, you understand? It ain't my life and it ain't none of my business what you want. But Lottie, I ain't stupid, you hear? I fucking knew you was one of them".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte asked;

"one of…one of what?"

"A spinster…that's what you're 'gonna be, huh?"

Her shoulders dropped.

Charlotte let out a long sigh and she smiled;

"what?"

Guarnere grinned, "you ain't ever 'gonna get married, are you? Nothing wrong with that, Lottie. I mean, it's not how I'd want my sister to go but…fuck it, Lottie. Women are fucking strong".

She continued to smile;

"your mum raised you right, Bill". Charlotte said, "it's a shame not all guys think that, you know? Guys think we should be in the house all the time and shit – I can't fucking cook like you or your mum, Bill".

"I'll teach you, Lottie". Guarnere assured her, "I make a mean spaghetti meal".

She pulled a face, "Bill, I don't 'wanna see spaghetti again".

By night fall, Charlotte's toothache took a turn for the worst. What started off as a dull and annoying thud, soon grew into an intense and eye watering pain, which didn't go away or give her a moment of peace. She couldn't eat and drinking water made the pain worse. All Charlotte could do was sit and try not to scream out. She thought breaking her arm would hurt less or banging her head might take her away from the toothache, but Charlotte didn't want to give her friends a reason to believe she was crazy. Although, she could imagine Guarnere doing the same.

Charlotte abruptly sat up in their foxhole and Guarnere remained fast asleep.

Rubbing her right cheek, she let out a tearful moan, as if she had been tortured for hours with no break in between. With another moan, Charlotte got onto her feet and decided to take a short walk, hoping to keep her mind off from the pain. But of course, the walk only got her into trouble.

Luckily, it was Winters who had caught her and not Sobel.

"Private, what are you doing?" He demanded quietly, "you're not mean to be roaming around".

Charlotte let out a pathetic whimper before answering;

"my tooth's sore".

Winters frowned a little, "toothache?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye, sir…that's what Bill says, sir".

"How bad?"

She moaned tearfully;

"so bad, that I 'wanna break my hand, sir".

Winters felt something pull at his heart.

Giving her a nod, his hand went on her shoulder;

"well, let's see if our medics have something for the pain, huh?"

Looking up at him, Charlotte's eyes filled with hope;

"really?" She whispered, as if not believing it.

"Really". Winters confirmed, "I've had toothache before, trooper. It's murder".

"That's what Bill says, sir".

"Yeah…he's right about that".

Winters led her down the line of men who were dug in.

And eventually, they reached Roe, who was with Grant.

Before Winters could even open his mouth, Charlotte got down on her knees and reached over to Roe, grabbing his arm;

"you've 'gotta help me, doc". She practically begged, "I'm going insane".

With his face twisting into confusion, Roe looked at Winters;

"Lieutenant?"

"Toothache". Winters explained to him quietly, "did you carry any morphine, doc?"

Roe looked back at Charlotte;

"you should have morphine in your aid kit, Gallagher".

Frowning, Charlotte shook her head;

"I'm not smart enough to do that, doc". She told him, "I'd end up killing myself".

Grant opened one eye, "I'd give her the morphine, doc…she's 'gonna wake up the whole Company".

Sighing, the medic nodded and got out of his foxhole.

"You've 'gotta see a dentist". Roe told her, "and I'd go right away".

He then looked over at Winters;

"can we make that happen, sir?"

"Yeah, we've got transport on stand-by". The Lieutenant said, "but let's manage her pain first, doc. She wants to break her hand".

Charlotte sunk in a tearful breath;

"it would hurt less". She mumbled.

Roe took her hand and helped her up;

"don't worry, Gallagher. You ain't 'gonna feel a thing soon".

Back at Winters foxhole, Nixon was still asleep in the hole next to his.

Charlotte sat herself down on the edge of the hole, with Winters beside her and Roe in front of her. The medic brought out a small syrette and very quickly, stabbed it into her flesh. It didn't hurt, to Charlotte, nothing could hurt more than toothache at that point. However, after only a few seconds, a very light and euphoric feeling took over her.

Letting out a content sigh, her hand left her right cheek and she smiled.

Her smile was sleepy, and her eyes looked dazed and her pupils were dilated. But Charlotte felt well and truly relaxed and best of all, pain free. It felt like her head had left her body and she was floating up into the sky, like a big balloon.

In other words, Charlotte was high.

But she was too high to form any words.

So, when Roe asked her;

"do you feel dizzy or sick?"

Her eyes only slowly moved to look at him.

Charlotte's lips twitched, creating a small and half smile.

Roe huffed out a little laugh, "yeah…you're alright, Gallagher".

Winters looked a little concerned, however;

"did we give her too much, doc? I've never seen someone react this way to morphine".

"I have, sir". Roe assured him, "I've seen guys fall asleep too, sir. Private Gallagher is 'gonna be fine. I'll stay with her".

It was all a bit of blur for Charlotte.

She was aware of sitting down next to Winters.

And shortly after, Charlotte was picked up into someone's arms and placed into a noisy and bumpy truck, with Roe by her side. When they reached camp, after a few hours of driving, Charlotte was brought into a large brick building. At one point, the pain came back, but she felt sleepy and only let out tiny moans and whimpers of discomfort.

Lying on a white bed, Roe was still next to her.

Taking her hand, he told her;

"it's 'gonna be over soon, alright? They're 'gonna put you to sleep".

Charlotte didn't like the sound of that.

But she was too tired to argue.

And when the nurse and a doctor came to take her away, Charlotte's hand gripped onto Roe's hand tighter and she started to shake her head;

"nah…don't…what the hell's going on?"

Roe gave her a warm smile;

"you're going to sleep, Gallagher". He told her, "and I'll see you when you wake up".

Charlotte's hand left his and she was wheeled away into another bright room.

But within minutes of arriving, she fell into a deep state of sleep.

One she couldn't fight off.

**…**

Charlotte woke up with the taste of blood in her mouth and a sickening feeling in her gut. Her cheek felt twice it's normal size and she had a hole, where her sore tooth used to be. Luckily, the toothache came from her back tooth. But as she found out later, the dentist actually had to remove a wisdom tooth, which was compacted and caused her a lot of pain. The dentist asked if she wanted to see the wisdom tooth.

Charlotte thought the man had lost his mind.

The nurse brought her in a meal and a drink.

Charlotte ate some of the food and drank the full glass of orange juice. But she ended up throwing it all back up again, half an hour later. The nurse assured her that it was a common side effect and told Charlotte to stay in bed until she could keep fluids and food down.

What she thought was going to be a miserable day in bed, turned brighter, when Guarnere and Moe walked over to her later that day. Charlotte managed a smile, despite her face hurting.

"So much for toothache, huh?" Guarnere smirked.

"How're you feeling, tyke?" Moe asked her softly.

Charlotte didn't answer that question and instead asked;

"is there…blood on my face?"

The NCO's looked at her face and both nodded;

"yeah-"

"but not a lot". Moe quickly assured her.

Charlotte then asked;

"my cheek…". She croaked, "is it…it's fucked, eh?"

Guarnere shrugged, "well – it 'sorta looks like you've been punched in the face again, Lottie".

Charlotte's eyes then moved towards Guarnere, where she noticed something new added to his jacket. Another tiny smile reached her lips;

"Sargent". She mumbled, "congrats, Bill".

Holding out her hand, Guarnere took it and shook her hand;

"thanks, Lottie". He said with a smile, "Winters did it when we got back".

"How'd it go?" She wondered, "was Sobel shit?"

Moe sighed, "yeah…he killed ninety-five percent of the Company".

Charlotte raised one eyebrow.

"Fucking duck". Guarnere hissed, "anyway…when you getting out, Lottie? It's boring without you around".

She sighed quietly;

"I got sick". Charlotte mumbled, "so…when that stops happening".

Frowning, Moe sat on the edge of her bed;

"that's too bad, tyke". He said, "but it shouldn't last long, huh? You might get out in a few hours. Once your belly settles down".

On a lighter note, Charlotte told them;

"morphine is all kinds of weird".

The Sargent's both grinned at that.

"I thought I was with Alice, in Wonderland".

Guarnere snorted, "shit – really?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…but it made me proper tired, eh?"

Moe gave her hand a squeeze;

"you 'gonna try and eat later, Lottie?"

"Aye, I will". Charlotte told him, "nurse is 'gonna bring me some food in a couple of hours I think".

Charlotte wished more than anything that she'd manage to keep down her next meal. But just like last time, she was violently sick half an hour after consuming the meal. And like last time, the nurse helped her clean up and Charlotte was dressed into a new gown. Thankfully, the nurse wasn't fazed and was very kind throughout the cleaning process.

"I've seen a lot worse". The nurse told Charlotte, "I'm just sorry your body is reacting badly to the drugs, sweetie".

"It's okay". Charlotte said softly, while climbing back into bed.

Smiling, the nurse pulled the blankets up towards Charlotte's chin;

"try and get some sleep, okay? We'll try again in a few hours".

Charlotte smiled back at the kind woman;

"thank you".

"It's no problem, sweetie…I'm only doing my job".

Sitting alone in an empty part of the small medical centre in Mackall, Charlotte did nothing but twiddle her thumbs for a good portion of the afternoon. It was a very long and boring three hours, until more food and orange juice were brought to her.

During this meal, Diel and Winters were informed by the doctor of Charlotte's current state. And once informed, the pair of them wondered down the empty room and located the only occupied bed, which Charlotte sat up on, trying to force herself to eat cheese and crackers.

"Third times a charm, huh?" Diel said, with a smile. "Is the food that bad, Lottie?"

Swallowing the dry cracker, Charlotte looked up at them;

"well, Punchy". She said quietly, "it doesn't taste nice coming back up".

Diel pulled a face, "yeah, I bet". He mumbled.

Winters chuckled, despite the nauseating conversation;

"feeling any better, Private?"

Charlotte sighed, "guess we'll have to see, sir". She mumbled, "I hope this stays down. It's giving me the fear this place is, sir…it's well empty".

Diel raised an eyebrow, "did Bill tell you this place was haunted?"

Her eyes widened a little, "how? You heard the stories, like?"

"Jesus – Lottie, it's not haunted, alright? It's a brand-new building".

Charlotte felt a shiver roll down her spine.

"Aye, well…Bill's a good story-teller, Punchy".

She then added;

"can I leave?"

"Yeah". Diel said, "when you stop puking".

Charlotte shrugged, "I feel grand". She said, "nurse says the drugs don't agree with me. And I'd hate to disagree with a professional…cause those drugs made me feel magic".

Diel snorted in amusement, "they did a good job in taking the pain away, didn't they?"

She nodded, with a content sigh;

"Punchy, it was brilliant". Charlotte admitted softly, "my head felt like a big balloon".

Winters cleared his throat, "let's hope you won't be needing morphine again, trooper".

Blinking a few times, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, sir". She agreed, "I don't want to feel that pain again. It's proper murder".

Winters and Diel stayed with Charlotte for over half an hour.

She hadn't even realised half an hour had gone by.

Until the nurse came around to clear the visitors away.

"Feeling better, sweetie?"

Charlotte's face lightened;

"aye…I didn't throw-up, can I leave now?"

"Do you feel well enough?" The nurse asked her.

Charlotte nodded eagerly, "I feel brilliant, nurse. I could run up a mountain".

After giving her a quick check-up, the nurse grabbed the doctor who sorted out her discharge papers. Charlotte was well enough to return to her Company and resume training in two days' time. However, Charlotte would manage to worm her way back into training the next morning.

Changing into her uniform, she left the medical centre with Diel and Winters.

Since the passing of her dad, it had been a strange time for Charlotte.

And having minor surgery, was the cherry on top.

But what she could rely on was walking into a familiar place, with music, cigarette smoke and laughter. Charlotte sat down on her bed, Guarnere clapped her on the shoulder and she felt at home, once again.


	9. Chapter 8

Standing inside a small building, which was used as storage, Charlotte stared up into light eyes and a sweet smile. Their lips crashed together, while hands grabbed Charlotte's waist, pressing her further against the wall. Their kisses tasted like jam; from the doughnuts they had consumed moments before their shared kiss. And the perfume was flowery and sweet.

"Lottie…I ain't ever 'gonna forget you".

Charlotte smiled, "same".

"Will you write?"

Frowning a little, Charlotte bit down on her lip and shook her head;

"no, sorry".

"What?!"

Taking a step back, Charlotte was released.

She rubbed the back of her neck;

"like…it's too risky, you know? And I'm leaving soon. I don't see the point".

"I see your point. It's so unfair".

Charlotte found herself frowning. Reaching down, she picked up her duffle bag and slung the strap over her shoulder. Opening the door, she peaked outside and checked to see if it was safe to move. Meanwhile, the person still inside the building, leaned against the wall and sighed;

"you don't find girls like us, Lottie".

Charlotte closed the door and faced the Red Cross Girl again.

Her name was Pat.

She was tall, slender, with thick dark hair and light eyes.

Pat was beautiful and had capture many trooper's attention.

But Pat only had her eyes on Charlotte that morning.

"You don't". Charlotte mumbled, "but, like – we're not crazy or that, Pat".

"I know". Pat said softly, "my boyfriend would probably lock me away if he ever found out".

"Your boyfriend sounds like a prick".

Pat snorted, "yeah…he makes me feel small, Lottie".

Charlotte's frown deepened.

Walking back over to Pat, she took her hands;

"I think you're smart, Pat". Charlotte told her softly, "and, I think you're better than you think. Maybe one day, people won't think we're crazy, eh?"

Smiling at her, Pat softly kissed Charlotte on the lips;

"God, Lottie". She whispered, "don't forget me, cause I won't forget you".

"I won't forget you, Pat". Charlotte promised her, "you're beautiful".

Pat smiled again, "that means a lot, coming from another girl. Fellas tell me I'm beautiful all the time, Lottie…but I know they don't mean it, like you do".

"Maybe if I live, I'll see you again?"

Smiling more now, Pat nodded;

"you want my address now, huh?"

Charlotte found herself smiling back at her, "aye, I do, Pat".

After exchanging addresses, Charlotte and Pat left the small storage building and left each other discreetly. Charlotte made her way back onto the platform, where the rest of Easy were waiting. A train was to take the entire 101st Airborne Division to a destination unknown. The 506th were now attached to the 101st Division, giving them a new Screaming Eagles patch to wear on their uniforms.

"Where the hell have you been?" Toye asked, who was sitting on the floor with a few others.

She looked down at them, "just walking around, how?"

"We're leaving soon". He told her, "don't wonder off again, alright?"

"Fair enough". Charlotte said, "what's going on?"

"We was just saying-"

"shut up, Cobb". Toye cut Cobb off.

Cobb ignored him, "you 'gotta admit, he's got no chance. Either the Krauts will get him, or one of us".

Liebgott soon came wondering over and crouched next to the small group of men.

"Who? Sobel?"

"He screwed up one manoeuvre". Shifty defended softly.

"Ah, you know I'm always fumbling with grenades. Would be easy if one went off by accident, you know…".

Charlotte's eyes widened a little;

"Lieb". She whispered, "don't be daft, eh? You can't be doing that".

"She's right". Shifty said, "they must have put him in charge for a reason".

Liebgott snorted, "yeah, cause the army wouldn't make a mistake, right, Shift?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I'm well sorry, Lieb…but I don't think hurting him is the answer".

Taking in a deep breath, she turned around and walked away from the small group of men.

She couldn't say much on the matter of the army making a mistake.

Charlotte considered herself the army's greatest mistake.

Only, she wasn't about to get the entire Company killed, like Sobel might do. And she felt bad for Sobel, because he did try hard. Sobel was the type of man who wanted nothing but perfection. It wasn't his job to make friends with his men, but it was his job to lead them correctly into combat and he struggled with that.

"What's up, Lottie?" Guarnere asked, who was standing with Martin and Grant.

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head;

"just some folk wanting to kill a certain duck, Bill".

Nodding slowly, he lit up a cigarette;

"alright…you stay 'outta that talk, huh? Don't get into trouble".

Guarnere gave her the lit cigarette, Charlotte smiled a little;

"cheers, Bill".

"We don't know where we're going". Johnny Martin announced, "did you hear anything, Lottie?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte took a drag from her cigarette.

Grant sighed, "guess we'll find out soon enough".

Gurnere then looked down at Charlotte;

"you've got red…all over your lips, Lottie".

He smirked;

"have you been making-out with a doughnut?"

Blushing a little, Charlotte furiously rubbed her lips.

"Shut it, Bill". She mumbled, "I have not".

Guarnere chuckled, "right…".

When they boarded the train, the men got comfortable and made themselves at home. Taking off their jackets, they hung them up, causing jackets to sway back and forth from the movement of the train. Guarnere directed Charlotte, Grant and Martin into the direction of Winters and Welsh, the four of them ended up almost sitting behind them.

"Why?" Grant wondered to him quietly.

Guarnere leaned towards him, "if anyone's 'gonna know where we're going…it's them".

Martin smirked, "clever".

Charlotte shook her head, "nah…he's just nosey".

Sending her a playful glare, Guarnere looked back towards Martin and Grant;

"no bets".

"What?" Grant almost whined, "come on, Gonorrhoea…".

"Nah…we could be going anywhere, Chuck". He said, "and I ain't losing money".

Grant sighed again, "alright…no bets".

"Cards?" Martin suggested, brining out his pack.

The same pack of cards he claimed came from the Titanic.

And the only person who believed him was Charlotte.

Not in any mood to play cards, Charlotte ended up closing her eyes and trying to find some much-needed sleep, which was lost during training. And when she closed her eyes, she thought about Pat. She was a beautiful woman and Charlotte felt an immediate attraction towards her.

Smiling small, Charlotte let out a content sigh and sunk deeper into sleep.

Her head pressed up against Guarnere's arm.

"Dolly daydream, huh?"

Martin and Grant both grinned.

"She sure looks happy". Grant pointed out.

"I saw her talking with a nice-looking Red Cross girl". Martin told them, "now, this broad was real tall…she looked like a movie star".

Guarnere raised an eyebrow out of interest;

"yeah?"

Martin nodded, "legs for days, Bill…dark hair, light eyes. What a gal".

Grant sighed, "damn…I wish I got her name".

"I didn't catch her name, Chuck". He said, "pretty sure Lottie did though. They were talking for a while".

"I'll ask her when she wakes up". Grant decided, "shit…I should have been paying attention".

Guarnere chuckled, "well, we'll catch the broads later, Chuck".

"We better". He said lowly, "I want a broad on each arm".

Martin laughed, "good luck with that, pal".

When Charlotte eventually opened her eyes, the train was still chugging down the track and had no means of stopping anytime soon. Lifting her head from Guarnere's arm, she saw that her friends were sound asleep. Frowning a little, Charlotte rubbed her eyes and soon felt a stare burn into her face.

Looking ahead of her, she spotted Nixon, who was sitting opposite Welsh and Winters.

He grinned at her and soon beckoned her over.

Carefully, Charlotte got up from the seat and stepped out onto the strip.

The very unstable and rocky strip.

Grabbing onto the back of the seats, she moved towards the Lieutenant and eventually sat down next to him, when he moved up towards the window. Winters and Welsh both gave her warm and kind smiles, as if welcoming her into a small party. Clearing her throat, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"alright, Lieutenant's?"

"We're great". Nixon answered for them, "you caught wind of where we're heading, kid?"

Looking up at him, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah, sir…I was sleeping".

"Well…can you keep a secret?"

A puff of air escaped her lips.

Charlotte thought hard about it.

"Aye, sir…but, sir? I'm sorry but – if it's 'gonna get us hurt or that-"

"no". Nixon chuckled, "it ain't 'gonna get your buddies hurt, kid".

Winters smiled, seeming quite proud of her concerns.

Nixon continued to tell her his secret;

"I know where we're going". He told her.

Charlotte's eyebrows twitched, "that's…sir? I don't think you should be telling a Private this like".

Nixon shrugged, "you're 'gonna find out in an hour anyway".

And she soon relaxed, with a smile;

"aye, alright, sir". She said lightly, "where we going?"

"New York". He began to tell her, "then, a troop ship across the Atlantic".

Charlotte frowned again, "why, sir?"

"To England". Nixon explained. "We're invading Europe".

"Like…France and that, sir?"

He nodded, "yup – the Krauts".

Looking away from Nixon, Charlotte leaned back into the seat.

She continued to frown;

"that's mad that, eh?"

Charlotte thought about her twin brothers, who were supposedly either taken prisoner or dead. She liked to think they were both alive and doing as well as they could do under those circumstances. They were both last seen during the Battle of France. Charlotte hoped she had some piece of her family still alive.

It was hard to believe that her time in America was already over.

But at least she was going somewhere familiar.

Looking up from her hands, she caught Winters stare.

Giving him a tiny smile, she said;

"I wrote to Mrs Winters".

Winters smiled at that, "that's good, trooper".

"I had to thank her again, sir". Charlotte said, "cause…I mean – I 'dunno, I feel bad 'bout living with you's and that still".

The Lieutenant shook his head, "don't feel bad about it, Lottie. We love having you".

Charlotte smiled and nodded, "alright, sir".

"Lieutenant Winters tells us you play piano, Private". Welsh pointed out, "when do we get to listen to you play?"

With a shy smile, she rubbed the back of her neck;

"eh…well, sir, I'm not very good with crowds and that". Charlotte admitted, "but I'm working on it".

For the remainder of the journey, she sat with the three Lieutenant's while her friends slept soundly, until they reached New York. The train stopped at the platform, smoke seeping up from under the tracks. Grabbing their belongings, the men left the train and Easy assembled with the rest from 2nd Battalion and the 506th.

It was there, where they were placed into buses, which would take them to Camp Shanks for the next two weeks, until they boarded the S.S Samaria. Getting settled into their barracks for the next fortnight, the men unpacked their belongings and cleaned the place up, before Sobel called for his men to gather outside.

There wasn't a lot to be done inside Shanks, expect weapons training and inspection. The NCO's were given manuals, all different kinds of information to do with combat tactics and weapons. And because Charlotte was good friends with Guarnere, the Sargent had her studying those manuals with him, that's how the two friends spent their first night in Shanks, reading.

"Bill, I'll never be a Sargent or that".

"You might have to". Guarnere pointed out, "what if something happens, huh? And it's all up to you? You've 'gotta be prepared for that, Lottie".

When it started to get dark inside their barrack, Muck turned on the light, so the men could continue to read, write letters or play cards. Moe was studying hard on the bed next to Charlotte with Toye doing the same across from them.

"Don't you 'wanna aim for something better?" Guarnere asked.

Charlotte shrugged, "I was just wanting to pass training, Bill".

He snorted, "congratulations, you passed training. So, let's think bigger, huh?"

She sighed, "Bill…I can't order folk around". Charlotte mumbled, "I'd go red like a tomato".

Guarnere grinned, "you would, huh? But you know, you won't always do that, Lottie. Cause you've got lives to save out there, you understand? And your own embarrassment or whatever, won't get in the way".

Charlotte felt her eyes soften.

And she smiled, feeling truly lucky to have Guarnere as a friend.

Clearing his throat, he gestured towards the manual on her lap;

"Lottie, get reading".

"Shit – aye, sorry, Bill".

Guarnere smiled, watching her read the manual again.

"You better be…you asshole".

Laughing softly, Charlotte shook her head;

"prick".

**…**

Life in Shanks was mostly boring, but the men tried to keep themselves entertained. They went to the movie theatres, the PX barrack and kept their mind off the daunting fact of leaving their home behind. Charlotte spent the first few days reading those manuals with Guarnere, until Winters decided to open up a few sporting activities, baseball included.

And then of course, came the moment which Charlotte had been waiting for;

Playing alongside the baseball team.

Grant, Guarnere, Toye, Bloser, Malarkey, Muck, Campbell and Liebgott made up the 2nd Platoon baseball team. They used to have nine players, but one of them dropped out, which left a space open for someone else to try-out for. Charlotte, along with Kiehn and Jackson, all walked towards field that morning to try-out for the team. Watching over and judging every component was Diel and Winters. They each had to take a turn as pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, one of the outfielders and of course, the batter.

Putting on her baseball cap, Charlotte stood and waited to be called up as batter.

Jackson was first, with Guarnere as pitcher and Toye behind him as catcher.

Charlotte could see the determination in Jackson's eyes. And she felt nervous for him, because she knew how good of a pitcher Guarnere was. And that was to Charlotte's advantage, as she had trained with him so many times before. But considering Jackson had never trained with Guarnere before, he did pretty good.

After two strikes, he managed to hit the ball and start running.

Jackson only made it to second base, before Malarkey caught the ball and almost had him out.

Kiehn was up next.

Taking his stand, he picked up the bat and swung it a few times in practice.

"Watch this". Toye said, "first strike – here it comes".

Kiehn missed the ball and it landed into Toye's gloved hand.

"Too bad". Toye said, passing the ball back to Guarnere. "Alright, here comes strike two, huh?"

Kiehn hit the ball on that second throw and ran all the way to second base, meaning Jackson could hit third base and make it home. But like Jackson had been, Kiehn was stuck at second base.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte made her way towards the bat.

Picking up the bat, she turned to the side and faced Guarnere.

"Here's what I'm thinking". Toye mused, while punching his glove, "you're 'gonna get two strikes and you ain't even 'gonna make it to first base, kid".

Charlotte knew Toye was only trying to psych her out.

He did it all time, according to Guarnere.

And she tried to ignore him but ended up missing the ball completely.

"Strike one!" Toye announced before throwing the ball back to Guarnere.

The Sargent gave her a tiny glare;

"what did I tell you?" He demanded lowly, "quit looking at my handsome face and stare at the damn ball, Lottie".

Charlotte nodded and moved her eyes towards the ball.

Soon, it was moving towards her, at a high speed.

Charlotte swung the bat and knocked the ball away.

It went flying.

Dropping the bat, she sprinted towards first base, with dirt kicking up under her heels.

Then, she ran over to second base.

Kiehn ran towards third base, with Charlotte right behind him.

"Lieb!" Malarkey yelled, before throwing the ball towards him.

Kiehn had made it home.

Charlotte was almost home.

However, when Liebgott caught the ball, she quickly turned to make her way back to second base. Liebgott started to throw the ball back towards Malarkey again, where Charlotte made her last run back towards third base.

"Shit – Lieb!" Malarkey yelled.

As soon as he threw that ball, Charlotte skidded towards third base.

Her foot touched the base, seconds before Liebgott caught the ball.

Guarnere let out a tiny cheer, when she made a homerun.

"Did you fucking see that?!" He exclaimed to Toye, "that's what I'm fucking talking about, Joe!"

Getting up onto her feet, Liebgott smiled and shook her hand;

"good run, Lottie".

"Thanks, Lieb". She replied, with a smile of her own.

After batting, they each took a turn as pitcher and catcher next.

From there, it was stiff competition.

Charlotte felt her nerves increase. She really wanted that spot on the team because she had grown to love the sport. Baseball held a lot of meaning to her now, as it offered her some distraction after her dad's funeral. And it's what bonded her with the men, when they taught her how to catch a ball.

Charlotte played right field very well.

When the ball was hit in her direction, she caught it and threw it over to either Malarkey or Muck. She loved playing with her friends, it was a great team sport. Charlotte didn't want the game to end but Winters blew on his whistle, when he had seen enough to come to a final decision. It had been a long try-out session, which had run into the afternoon. And despite being covered in sweat and dusty mud, Charlotte had enjoyed every second of playing.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte lowered her eyes to her boots.

"You've all done great". Winters started to say, "and it's been a difficult decision to make but we can only choose one other player to join the team".

Closing her eyes, she took in another deep breath.

"Well done, Lottie…you made right fielder".

Eyes opening, her head jerked up.

Charlotte stared up at Winters in shock;

"really?" She whispered.

He smiled, "yup – congratulations".

Grinning, Guarnere clapped her shoulder.

She felt her eyes burn, embarrassingly enough.

But Charlotte had never been apart of a sports team before. Not because she had always been too shy to try out but because she never felt apart of any team, fearing she wouldn't be accepted. But now, Charlotte was on a baseball team and had a great group of friends.

"You baby". Guarnere had his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side, "come on, quit being so damn soft, Lottie".

Letting out a watery chuckle, Charlotte cleared her throat;

"I'm not a baby, you prick".

They celebrated Charlotte making the team that night inside PX, where the Red Cross Girls served them beer, coke and ice cream. Some men were lucky enough to share a dance with a few of the young women, while others played cards and relaxed. Of course, Grant was chatting up two young women, sharing dances with them and taking down their names and addresses. The girls loved Chuck; he carried a certain charm with him.

Charlotte wished more than anything to dance with one of the young women. But of course, that would have been too risky. So, she kept to herself that night and drank her beer, swallowing those desires back which each bitter taste of alcohol.

There shouldn't have been anything wrong with it, being gay.

Charlotte knew she wasn't insane or unwell but a large part of the world, would rather lock people like her up, rather than face something they were taught wasn't "normal". But Charlotte didn't think love was normal. It made people feel funny, it made them selfless and crazy. In some cases, it brought out the best in people. And other times, it brought out a possessive and jealous side.

Charlotte loved people who brought out the best in people.

She loved people who gave someone a chance and offered them kindness and friendship. Her attraction came from someone's inner strength, beauty and warmth. And all the people she had been attracted to, since the age of thirteen, were females. Charlotte was initially confused by these feelings towards females, until she met Irena, who shared the same feelings.

Charlotte and Irena did everything together.

They were best friends and they grew to love each other, as time went on.

But circumstances pulled them apart.

Charlotte's mum died and Irena moved away.

In fact, Irena and her family up and left randomly one day, right out of the blue. She was in school one day and then gone the next, her house was empty. It was a great mystery; one which Charlotte hadn't been able to solve.

Guarnere nudged her arm;

"what you thinking about?"

Blinking out of her train of thought she replied with;

"Irena".

He frowned, "who?"

"Eh – an old friend". Charlotte mumbled, "back in Scotland".

"You never mentioned her".

She shrugged, "haven't thought about her 'till now".

Later that night, when the barrack was dark and quiet, Charlotte lay awake and thought about Irena again. She only hoped Irena was happy and okay, wherever she was.

Rolling onto her side, Charlotte closed her eyes and fell asleep.

And she dreamt about Irena, all night.

**…**

They were set to leave tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow, they'd wave goodbye to America and greet England.

Charlotte wasn't nervous about leaving home, for she had already done that before when she left Scotland but most of her friends had never left America before, and some hadn't even been on a ship. It was an anxious night for most of the men, which is why they managed to take a few bottles of whiskey and have one last blow-out, before tomorrow.

Like most men, it was Charlotte's first time drinking hard liquor. And she had to step outside for some air, to try and stem the sickening feeling in her gut. Leaning against the barrack, Charlotte let out a shaky sigh, while she tried not to throw-up.

The nausea quickly left her however, when she heard a sniffle.

Lifting her head, Charlotte looked towards the noise and found Moe.

And she was finding it hard to process, that he was crying.

At first, her brain told her that Moe simply had the cold because she had never seen one tear leave that man's eye before. But there he was, sitting down, with his head in his hands and crying, like his heart had just been ripped into pieces.

Still not quite believing it, Charlotte quietly walked over to Moe before sitting down next to him. He sniffed and she could hear his breathing hitch, while he tried to compose himself. But she shook her head and placed her head against his arm;

"it's okay, Moe". Charlotte whispered, "it's fine…you can cry".

He let out a choked and tearful laugh;

"you must think I'm an idiot, huh?"

"No". She mumbled, eyes staring out into the darkness before her. "You're my squad leader, Moe. Not an idiot".

Sniffing again, Moe rested his cheek on top of her head.

Charlotte then asked;

"you miss her, eh?"

His bottom lip trembled, and he nodded.

Charlotte wrapped her arm around his waist;

"that's alright, Moe". She said softly, "bet she pure misses you too, eh?"

Clearing his throat, Moe wiped his tears away.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, while Moe took in deep and calming breaths.

Charlotte moved her arm around his waist and rubbed his back instead.

Moe exhaled shakily and rubbed his face again;

"well-"

"I won't be telling anyone, Moe". She promised him, "but tears aren't fucking…you know, they're not like bad or that, you know? Mind when I lost it fighting back in Toccoa?"

"I do". He whispered, "you screamed".

"Aye, well – it was pure embarrassing cause I got upset and that". Charlotte shrugged, "but fuck it, Moe. It's not like I was hurting anyone else".

She then added quietly;

"then when dad died…that fucking – aye, that hurt".

Frowning, Moe pulled his head away from hers and looked down at her;

"you lost your dad, tyke?"

Staring back up at him, Charlotte nodded;

"on our furlough". She whispered, "I'm staying with Winters and his family but…don't tell anyone, alright? I don't want people being weird or that about it".

Sighing sadly, Moe wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Charlotte leaned into his side.

And the pair of them stayed outside, until the sun came up.

Both lost in their own thoughts but holding onto one another.


	10. Chapter 9

Standing on the rails of the top deck, Charlotte watched the sinking sun, shine an orange glow behind the Statue of Liberty. She was with the men, who all said their final goodbyes to America for now, and there was a solemn feeling all around, while the ship moved away from New York.

The S.S Samaria was to house the 101st Airborne Division for the next ten days. Conditions were cramped and all around miserable. They were told they had to ration fresh water, meaning they were only allowed to drink small amounts every fifteen minutes. And because of the threat of German U-boats, each passenger had to wear a life jacket and sleep in their clothes. They had two meals a day, terrible coffee and saltwater showers.

It was terrible.

"Boiled fish and tomatoes". Campbell sighed, "Jesus fuck…".

Charlotte pushed her share away, "I can't eat it".

Moe looked over at her, "you've 'gotta, Lottie. It's all we have".

They were sitting in a cramped mess hall, which sat in the belly of the ship, below where they all slept. The men were forced to sleep in hammocks, but the ship didn't provide them enough to sleep on. So, they'd have to share. Which didn't seem to bother anyone, no one wanted to sleep on the floor for the next ten-days.

Picking up her fork, she poked a piece of fish;

"is it meant to be…grey?" Bloser mumbled, "why the hell is this shit grey?"

Charlotte dropped her fork;

"nah…I can't eat it, Moe".

Moe looked over at Toye, who shrugged;

"you can't fucking blame her, Moe…and no, Rob. Fish ain't meant to be grey".

"They're boiling the fish in barrels". Jackson whispered, "I swear to God…I think that's where oil used to live".

Sighing, Moe looked at his squad;

"can we all just stop complaining?" He scolded, "just eat your damn meal, alright? You'll go hungry if you don't".

There was a moment of silence.

Before Campbell said;

"I'd rather go hungry".

Moe sighed again, "then just leave, Jim, alright? Anyone else who don't 'wanna eat, join him".

Charlotte quickly got up and stared up at Campbell;

"wanna find some dolphins in the water?"

A tiny smile reached his lips;

"sure". He complied lightly, "just don't fall in, huh?"

Walking up many greasy and slippery stairs, the two troopers eventually reached the top deck. It was empty and a light night's sky greeted them, with stars and a pale moon. Campbell and Charlotte walked over to the railings and both looked down at the dark blue ocean below them.

Grabbing onto the railings, Charlotte looked up at her friend;

"can I ask you a question?"

Looking down at her, Campbell nodded.

Charlotte cleared her throat, "which people are assholes, Jim?"

He frowned, looking confused.

"Do you remember? When I saw you outside of the barrack and you were proper angry? I was just…well, I wondered who was an asshole to you".

Sighing, he looked away from her;

"you remember that, huh?"

"Aye". Charlotte replied quietly, "you don't have to tell me or that, Jim".

Clearing his throat, Campbell nodded;

"well". He began to say quietly, "when I was a kid, I lost my dad. And then my mom met this guy and remarried".

Charlotte continued to stare up at him, with a tiny frown.

Campbell shook his head, "I didn't get along with this new guy…he didn't want me around. So, I moved in with my aunt and uncle. I ain't spoken to my mom or her new fella in years, Lottie. And then I get this letter…asking if I could give them some fucking money".

He huffed;

"that's kind of fucked up, if you ask me".

"Aye, it is". Charlotte agreed quietly.

Campbell sighed again, "I ain't even that cut up about leaving home, Lottie". Shaking his head, he ran a hand down his face, "they ain't even 'gonna miss me".

"Because…because they're assholes". She whispered.

Raising his eyebrow, he looked back down at her.

Charlotte continued;

"you're great, Jim. And they don't even know that…they've missed out, eh? Idiots".

Campbell felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

Which caused Charlotte to smile small;

"Jim, I know folk are assholes. But I just don't 'wanna see it, eh? But I know they're out there and that…and some are worse than others".

"Ah, Lottie". He sighed, hand going on her shoulder, "the world is full of assholes".

Campbell then added;

"you're not one". He said, "not a lot of fellas here are…expect one duck".

Smiling more, Charlotte leaned into his side.

A few moments of silence went by.

"Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"See the Titanic?"

Campbell sighed, "Lottie…let's not bring that up, huh?"

"I know but…do you think Johnny really has those cards from the ship?" She wondered.

Pulling a thoughtful frown, Campbell stared at the ocean.

"You know…he might".

Charlotte grinned, "I fucking knew it, too".

**…**

With the cramp conditions, a terrible stench took over the ship.

Charlotte first noticed it after a saltwater shower. The soap they were provided with left her skin feeling uncomfortable and sticky. Charlotte planned to stay away from the showers, unless she really needed one. The next person to enter the shower she just left was Luz, from 1st Platoon. Giving Charlotte a grin, he entered the stall. Charlotte dried her hair with the towel and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

But she jumped a little, when a face appeared behind her.

Turning around sharply, one trooper was standing there, with a tiny smirk.

"Did I frighten you?"

Blinking a few times, Charlotte slowly shook her head;

"no…no…you're fine".

Rubbing his lips together he said to her, in a low voice;

"is it true? Does the soap leave your skin feeling all sticky?"

"Eh – aye, a little". Charlotte replied quietly.

With a tiny smile, he took a step closer.

And his finger trailed down her cheek.

Charlotte stopped breathing and her eyes widened.

His finger stopped, remaining on her jaw;

"it is a little sticky, huh?" He whispered.

Feeling a shudder roll down her spine, Charlotte let out a nervous and quiet laugh. She tried to pull her head away, but his finger was glued to her jaw. Giving him a tiny and forced smile, she nodded to the side;

"best be going, eh?"

"You don't have to". He whispered, "what's the rush, doll?"

"I just – I have the be going-"

"don't be like that". He practically whined, "come on…you ain't being fair. It's your fault that you've got me acting like a wild animal".

Charlotte felt sick.

And her face scrunched up, forming disgust.

She pushed herself back, until her hands were crushing against the sink.

Her head knocked against the mirror;

"just…stop it, eh?" Charlotte mumbled, "I don't…I'm sorry but-"

"but that?" He whispered, moving in closer. "Come on, doll. I ain't 'gonna tell nobody".

She shook her head;

"no". Charlotte whispered, voice almost shaking.

He sighed, "you fucking tease".

Her face dropped;

"I didn't…I didn't do-"

"looking like that…and not letting no man have you". He muttered, "you're a fucking tease, huh?"

The closer he got; the worse Charlotte felt.

And her eyes began to sting with tears, from an intense lever of fear and anger she was feeling. Charlotte had never been talked to that way before. It was horrible, it made her feel small and ashamed. But then she felt upset, because she knew she hadn't done anything wrong.

And, knowing that Luz was in that shower, Charlotte decided to yell;

"stop!"

The man instantly let go of her face and he took a step back.

"You're fucking crazy!" He exclaimed, "Jesus…I barely touched you!"

The shower had turned off, as soon as Luz heard her yell.

"Lottie?!" He called back, walking out, with only a towel around his waist.

Breathing heavily, Charlotte walked over to Luz;

"that guys a fucking weirdo, George". She told him, "I'm sorry…I didn't know what else do-"

"don't worry about it, Lottie". Luz assured her softly.

Arm going around her shoulders, Luz looked over at the man and sent him a hard stare;

"you and your blue balls better get the hell 'outta hear, before I kick your fucking ass".

"I didn't do anything!" He said, "Christ – I barely fucking touched her!"

Taking in a deep breath, Luz tightened his hold on Charlotte;

"barely, huh? Meaning, you did, didn't you? Jesus…you'd better be careful from now on, huh? Get the hell 'outta here…you fucking creep".

When the man left, Charlotte felt her shoulders drop.

Luz looked at her, with a serious expression;

"you don't go nowhere alone, deal?"

And she agreed to those terms;

"deal".

Giving her shoulder a clap, Luz asked her;

"you good, Lottie?"

Frowning a little, she stared back at him.

Charlotte sighed, "George…he says it was my fault. How's that?"

"He's crazy, Lottie". He told her, "it ain't your fault, alright?"

"Aye, alright".

Luz headed back into the shower to wash off the soap.

Charlotte walked back towards the mirror and stared at her reflection.

With a frown, she grabbed the ends of her hair and noticed that it almost reached her shoulders now, Charlotte thought maybe that was the problem. But she should have known better, because Luz was right, none of what happened was her fault.

Looking down, she noticed that her hand was still shaking.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Charlotte moved away from the sink.

Turning away from her reflection, she made her way back towards the others.

Keeping her head down, Charlotte sat on the edge of her hammock, right next to Guarnere's boots, which soon gave her back a tiny nudge. Charlotte looked over at him;

"what?"

He shrugged, "bored as hell".

Sighing, she moved up a little, before lying down across his lower legs.

Guarnere grunted;

"get the hell off me". He muttered.

"Nah…I'm well comfy now, Bill".

"You asked for it".

Guarnere shoved Charlotte off from his legs.

Letting out a yelp, she soon fell onto the ground.

Laughing, Guarnere sat up to look at her;

"I fucking told you, Lottie".

He then repeated;

"fucking told you".

Shaking her head, Charlotte sat up.

Grabbing onto the hammock, she pushed herself onto her feet and sat back down by Guarnere's legs. Clasping her hands onto her lap, she said quietly;

"Bill?"

Guarnere sighed, "what?" He asked, "Christ…is this 'gonna be a sentimental moment, Lottie? You know I ain't good with those".

"Eh – no". She said, with a shake of her head. "It's just…do you think Lieb will cut my hair?"

"If you've got the money, yeah". He said, "have you got money?"

"I do". She confirmed, while reached into her jacket pocket. "Will you…will you ask him for me?"

Pulling a face, Guarnere looked at her;

"no". He refused, "ask him yourself…lazy".

"Nah, but – I'm not being lazy, Bill". She mumbled, "what if he says no?"

"Would you say no to some bucks?"

Charlotte shrugged, "depends".

Sighing, Guarnere sat up.

Looking behind him, he caught Liebgott a few hammocks down.

"Lieb!" He called.

Charlotte's eyes widened slightly, "what are…Bill, stop it!"

"Lieb!"

Liebgott looked up from a letter he was writing;

"what?"

"Come here for a second, would you?"

Sighing, the young man jumped down from his hammock and made his way towards Guarnere. Staring at him, he grabbed the bottom of the hammock above them;

"what's up?"

Guarnere nodded towards Charlotte;

"she's got five bucks, pal…would you cut her hair?"

Liebgott crouched in front of Charlotte and took a look at her hair;

"you sure, Lottie?"

She nodded, "aye…pretty sure". Charlotte mumbled, "it's – eh – it's long".

Giving her a little smile, Liebgott nodded;

"alright, Lottie…I'll get my things".

A few minutes later, Charlotte was sitting on the ground with a towel around her shoulders. Liebgott was behind her and managed to use a tiny amount of water from her canteen to dampen her hair. Liebgott's hands were gentle and quiet, while they brushed through her hair with the comb. And though tense at first, Charlotte felt herself relaxing.

"Lieb?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's the biggest asshole in the world?"

Pulling a slightly amused face, he answered with;

"Hitler".

Charlotte hummed in agreement;

"aye…he is, eh?"

"And then Sobel".

She snorted, "maybe, eh?"

Charlotte then asked him;

"what's in like in San Francisco?"

"Good". Liebgott replied, "good business being a cabby".

"You used to drive taxis?"

"I did". He replied, while cutting the back of her hair, "I 'wanna own my own cab company one day. Good money in that, Lottie".

"Sounds decent". Charlotte mumbled, "like driving and getting money…I 'wanna drive one day".

"I'll teach you". He said to her, "it ain't so hard and I've got bags of experience".

She then asked;

"how come you can cut hair proper good?"

Liebgott smiled, "dad's a barber, Lottie and I worked with him for a bit".

"What about your mum?"

"She stayed at home and watched the six of us kids".

"Alright…who's the oldest?"

Liebgott smirked, "I am".

"And how old are you, like?"

Raising an eyebrow, he smirked;

"you ask a lot of questions, huh?"

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder, "was just talking, Lieb – I'm sorry".

He shook his head, "no need to be sorry…I'm twenty-eight".

Her eyes widened a little, "you are?"

Liebgott nodded, "yup".

"I'll be nineteen soon". Charlotte mumbled, "my birthdays on the ninth but I don't know when that is".

"It's tomorrow". Liebgott informed her, "so, this hair cut is on the house, kid".

"Ah – it's alright, Lieb". She said, "I can pay for-"

"come on, you ain't 'gonna get any presents". Liebgott insisted, "it's on the house".

Feeling her stomach fill with warmth, Charlotte smiled;

"you're well nice, Lieb".

He smiled, "don't mention it".

**…**

That night, the calming sea took a slight turn.

The constant rocking was starting to disagree with Charlotte, but it could have been their meal for supper as well, she figured it was a mixture of both. Lying on her back, she could hear the men around her snore or mumble in their sleep. Charlotte placed a hand on her stomach and slowly and carefully sat up.

Looking over at Guarnere, she saw him to be fast asleep.

"Bill". She called out quietly, giving his leg a tiny kick.

He sighed, "what?" He grumbled.

Charlotte ran a hand down her face;

"come with me to the latrines?"

Guarnere sighed again, "Jesus – why?"

"I feel sick, I think". Charlotte replied.

But she knew the real reason.

She didn't want to bump into that man again, from earlier.

Groaning, Guarnere sat up and almost bumped heads with her.

"Jesus Christ". He hissed, pulling back a little.

Taking a good look at her, Guarnere never questioned her further and decided to agree. Giving her a nod, Charlotte got up from the hammock, with her friend right behind her. A few men's heavy and sleepy eyes opened, to check out what was going on, but they got back to sleep seconds after once they saw no cause for concern.

Inside the latrines, Guarnere turned on the light and closed the door.

Charlotte walked into a stall and closed the door behind her.

He cleared his throat;

"you 'gonna be alright?"

"Aye". Charlotte mumbled, "sorry".

Guarnere shook his head, "it's alright, Lottie – I know you're a baby about this stuff".

"I'm not".

He smirked, while staring at the closed stall door;

"then how come I'm here, Lottie?"

She was quiet for a moment.

Before answering with;

"it's my birthday almost…and I'm feeling sick".

Guarnere felt a sad smile form on his lips;

"you're right, Lottie". He said, "you can't be doing this alone, huh?"

"Nah, it's shocking".

He snorted, "it is, huh? You can't be spending your nineteenth with your head down a fucking toilet, Lottie".

"I know…it's not fucking right".

"Happy fucking birthday, huh?" Guarnere mumbled.

Placing her elbow on the toilet seat, Charlotte leaned against her hand.

In that moment, she truly felt sorry for herself.

Feeling her eyes burn with tears, Charlotte blinked and felt them roll down her cheeks. Bottom lip quivering, she sniffed and wiped her jacket sleeve across her eyes. A lump lodged into her throat and more tears spilled over her eyes and down her cheeks. Her breathing hitched and she sniffed again.

Guarnere stared at the stall door.

And he didn't sound angry when he called her name;

"Lottie?"

In fact, he called her name out softly.

With a hint of worry.

Guarnere placed his hand on the door.

"Come on, Lottie". He murmured, "it ain't great but…you got me, huh? And those other sons of a bitches out there".

He didn't hear anything in response, just the odd sniffle.

His frown deepened, "I get it, huh? Your old man ain't here…you feel like shit and whatever, but you'll feel better when we start shooting some Krauts, huh? Or, hey – how about a smoke up on deck? Or what about-"

The stall door suddenly opened.

Charlotte still had tears running down her cheeks.

Guarnere's frowned again, "Lottie?"

Letting out a tiny sniff, she stepped forward and placed her head below his chest.

Soon, her arms went around his waist.

"We're doing this, huh?" Guarnere murmured.

Sighing softly, he wrapped his arms around her'

"fine". He said gruffly, "but don't go telling anybody, alright? I got a reputation to think about, Lottie-"

"shut up". She croaked out brokenly.

Holding her that little bit tighter, Guarnere nodded.

"I deserved that". He said quietly.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte's hands tightened around the fabric of his jacket.

Breathing deeply, she got a hold of that lump in her throat, though could still feel fresh tears behind her closed eyes. Biting down on her trembling lip, she felt more tears leave her eyes and roll down her stained and red cheeks.

Guarnere pressed a light kiss on the top of her head;

"do you remember when that ball hit you in the face?"

Charlotte sniffed, "why that?"

He shrugged, "it's funny".

"It fucking hurt".

Guarnere snorted softly, "it was pretty funny, Lottie".

Huffing quietly, Charlotte shook her head.

"You prick".

Guarnere sighed, content with that insult;

"I know".

Pulling back a little, Charlotte wiped her face with her sleeve.

Placing both hands on her shoulders, Guarnere looked at her;

"you done?"

Charlotte nodded.

Smiling a little, Guarnere gave her shoulders a squeeze and let go;

"can we go back to sleep, or are you 'gonna puke?"

Sighing, she looked over at the toilet;

"nah…we're safe, Bill".

Tossing his arm over her shoulders, Charlotte leaned into his side.

"Bill?"

"What?"

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"I didn't have to pay Lieb nothing".

Snorting, Guarnere led her out of the latrines;

"you lucky asshole".

The ship still rocked all night, but Charlotte managed to fall back asleep. It wasn't just Charlotte who had been feeling sick from the waves, a few other men had to rush into the latrines through the night, including Potter and Moe. It wasn't their best night on the Samaria, but the moment passed and by the morning, the men were feeling better.

**…**

Standing up on the deck one clear afternoon, Charlotte and a few others were on the lookout for dolphins. She hadn't seen a single dolphin since boarding the ship and was determined to see them before they reached Liverpool.

Sharing a cigarette with Jackson, Charlotte blew out the smoke from her mouth.

"If we don't see one…then this was a wasted trip". Campbell joked.

Jackson laughed, "they're alright". He said, "but yeah, you've 'gotta see one".

Potter took the cigarette from Campbell's hand;

"if we see one…the folks at home sure won't believe this, huh?"

Campbell looked at him;

"I didn't share with you?"

Potter shrugged, "we share everything, Jim. We're brothers now".

Jackson snorted, "we're some dysfunctional family, huh?"

Charlotte shrugged, "I like it".

Potter smiled, "we was all meant to meet and fight together".

Campbell sighed, "so, Hitler was meant to be born, George?"

He shrugged, "he sure was, Jim". Potter said, "but evil can be defeated. And we're the ones to do it".

Jackson snorted, "that's a lot of fucking responsibility".

"It is". Potter agreed, "but we're ready to face evil".

The four of them looked down towards the ocean.

And soon, smiles lifted their faces.

When dolphins appeared from the water.

Charlotte chuckled, "they're wicked, eh? Like, they're so fucking fast".

One of them flopped onto its side, looking as if it messed the jump up.

Jackson laughed;

"that one's Lottie".

Frowning, Charlotte then spotted one dolphin who was lagging behind;

"aye? Well, that ones you, Jack".

He tutted, "what?! Come on, Lottie…I can run faster than you".

Looking up, she sent him a hard stare;

"'wanna bet?"

His eyes twinkled, "first one back here around the deck?"

"You're fucking on, Jack".

Taking off into a sprint, the pair of them raced along the deck.

Because it was such a clear day, the deck was busy.

And a lot of men didn't like being pushed to the side by the two racing friends, not that Jackson or Charlotte actually cared. In fact, they found it funny. Charlotte had a great time running with her friend. The wind crashed into her face, her mouth was dry, and her legs hurt but she smiled the whole way around the deck.

Even though, she didn't win.

But she was happy despite the loss, because she felt truly happy again.

It had been a while, since she last smiled that wide.

Charlotte placed her hand on the bottom of Jackson's back;

"Jack?"

Grinning, he tossed his arm over her shoulders;

"yup?"

After getting her breath back, she grinned;

"ready…set…go!"

Pushing him to the side, Charlotte took off again.

"Hey!" Jackson laughed, running after her, "you little shit!"


	11. Chapter 10

The men found themselves in the picturesque village of Aldbourne.

It was like waking up into a fairy tale.

With thatched roofed houses, old churches and cobbled streets.

Charlotte was no stranger to small villages like Aldbourne, but the men were in a tiny state of shock when they woke up that morning and saw their surroundings for the first time. But Charlotte told them the best news of all that morning;

"we're only fifty miles west from London".

Grant looked down at her;

"oh my God…think of all the broads, Lottie".

Letting out a tiny giggle, she shook her head.

The enlisted men of Easy were housed in Nissan huts, while all the officers shared a large manor behind them. Though they still had to train, it was different than living inside a military base. This time, they were surrounded by the village people of Aldbourne. And at first, they were a little weary of the Yanks, but they'd grow to love having them around.

It didn't take long for the men to locate the only two pubs in the village.

The Crown and the Blue Boar. Once seated inside the pub, the men ordered hot beer, it was all they served. Hot beer. Not even Charlotte had heard of it. The bartender put a red-hot poker into the barrel of beer, and they watched it sizzle, before they were served this strange drink.

"You guys are fucking weird, kid". Martin told her.

Charlotte sighed, "I'm Scottish…I don't even know what this is, Johnny".

Pulling a slightly disturbed face, Guarnere blew into his glass;

"well…down it goes, huh?"

Grant, Martin, Guarnere and Charlotte lightly tapped their glasses into each other before taking their first sip of hot beer. It was hard to swallow, a few of them coughed after taking that first drink, while Charlotte shrugged;

"it's not bad". She commented, "it's fine".

Guarnere shuddered, "you're fucking nuts, Lottie".

After taking another drink, Martin had to agree with Charlotte;

"she's right, it ain't so bad".

"You're both fucking nuts". Guarnere told them, "we just 'gotta get used to it".

Grant still looked slightly disgusted, "I'd kill for a damn whiskey".

"Don't worry, Chuck". Guarnere said, "we'll get drunk as skunks in London".

"Wanna check the Boar? They might have normal fucking beer". Grant suggested.

Guarnere agreed to go, while Charlotte and Martin decided to hang back in the Crown and continue to drink the hot beer. After downing that first pint, Martin decided to order a bucket of beer for the pair of them to share. Charlotte didn't care, she'd help him drink it.

The second pint went down easier than the first.

But of course, by the third, they were both a little merry.

"Good old England, huh?"

"Just you fucking wait, Johnny". Charlotte told him, "I'll take you to Edinburgh. It's proper mad there".

"What about London?"

She shrugged, "never been".

The pair of them bonded greatly over that bucket of beer.

Their conversations went from laughing like two schoolgirls, to talking about missing home. Martin spoke about his wife, Charlotte talked about her lack of family. The bartender decided to offer them another bucket of beer;

"keep your spirits up, eh?"

Martin smiled, "we're well looked after, huh, Lottie?"

She nodded, with a lazy smile;

"aye…this place is great".

"I 'wanna move Pat over here". He said, "you can live with us too".

"Aw". Charlotte sounded truly touched, "you're so fucking nice, Johnny".

Martin sighed, "I know…but it's-"

"music". She stated, "this place needs some fucking music".

"You're right". He agreed, "where's the damn music, Lottie?"

Charlotte gave an exaggerated shrug;

"I don't even think it's been invented here".

"That's a real shame".

She nodded, "it is".

As if by magic, the bartender turned on some music and, In the Mood, started to sound out.

Martin's eyes lightened and he got up from his chair.

Charlotte watched, while he stared to dance by the table.

She clapped him on;

"you're a grand dancer, Johnny!" She cheered, "eh – here, you've got happy feet!"

Martin didn't respond and he continued to dance.

Eventually, Charlotte got up and danced beside him.

Martin laughed;

"you're terrible".

She nodded, with a grin;

"aye, I'm an awful dancer, Johnny".

Charlotte had two left feet and her arms swung around awkwardly. At least Martin had some sense when it came to dancing, he could actually keep in time with the music. Charlotte just stomped around, kicking her legs, boots smacking under the table.

The men inside the pub, who were all locals, looked a little offended.

Martin and Charlotte had brought the Crown to life.

Eventually, Martin grabbed her hand and spun them both around.

She laughed, while the world around her started to spin.

And when Martin let go, they both crashed into tables and the men sitting down on the chairs. Martin landed in a man's lap, while Charlotte landed on the ground by someone's shoes. The man pushed Martin off his lap, and he fell onto their table, while Charlotte stumbled over.

Both pulling out their chairs, they sat down and started diving into their second bucket of hot beer. By that point, the bartender decided to stop the music, just as Grant and Guarnere returned from the Boar, only to report that they too, served hot beer and hot beer only.

"Jesus-"

"they're fucking drunk". Guarnere cut Grant off.

For the next hour or so, Guarnere and Grant watched their two drunk friends carefully. While Martin tried to start up a game of poker with a few old men who weren't interested, Charlotte almost walked into the men's toilets, if it wasn't for Grant, who quickly corrected her.

It wasn't even eight o'clock, when they decided to call it a night.

When Charlotte exited the toilets, she fell face first onto the floor, while Martin gagged into his hand. Guarnere shoved Martin out of the pub, while Grant carefully picked Charlotte up and carried her outside.

"Oh, boy". Grant chuckled, "he's really going to town, Bill".

Guarnere grimaced, while he slapped Martin on the back.

"Too much damn beer". He muttered, "Chuck, we never leave those idiots alone again".

"Deal".

Charlotte was snoring softly on Grant's shoulder, completely passed out.

"Why'd we do that?" Martin moaned between bouts of vomit.

"Cause you're both idiots". Guarnere told him, "two damn buckets of beer? What the hell were you thinking, Johnny?"

Grant shrugged one shoulder, "they had fun, Bill".

He sighed, "ain't so fun now, huh?"

Martin wiped a hand across his mouth;

"I'd do it again". He slurred, while leaning against Guarnere.

He grimaced, "you fucking stink, Johnny".

"Let's get them to bed, Bill". Grant said, "Lottie's drooling on my damn shoulder".

Guarnere snorted, "man, she's out, huh?"

"Yeah, she is". He confirmed, "they need to sleep this off".

**…**

Charlotte had no idea how she got to bed last night.

The last thing she remembered, was dancing with Martin and the rest was just a foggy blur to her. With a terrible headache and a sickening feeling in her stomach, Charlotte rolled off her straw filled mattress and got ready for the day ahead.

"HOW'RE YOU FEELING?!" Some yelled loudly by her ear.

Charlotte's hands went over her ears, while she jumped.

Eyes squinting from the sun, she looked up;

"Bill, you prick". She croaked.

Guarnere grinned, "you had coffee yet?"

Lowering her hands from her ears, Charlotte shook her head;

"was just going to get some".

"I'll go with you".

Walking into a barn, which served as their lounge area, men were serving out coffee and toast. Charlotte grabbed herself a cup of hot coffee and skipped the toast that morning, claiming to Guarnere that she'd never keep it down.

"We got a dance on tonight".

She frowned, while they sat down at a table.

Guarnere continued;

"at the club, with the Red Cross Girls".

Charlotte sighed, "booze?"

"Yup". He said, "no hot beers".

She shuddered, "good".

After taking a sip from her coffee, Charlotte asked;

"where's the dance?"

"Swindon". He replied, "bus is coming for us at six".

He then added;

"Sobel's ordered us to keep our blouses on".

"The wool ones?"

Guarnere nodded, "the very same, Lottie".

"'Gonna be a bit warm in a fucking jumper, eh?"

He snorted, "you got that right, Lottie".

Reaching over the table, Charlotte grabbed a slice of toast from Guarnere's plate.

He pulled a face, "what the hell, Lottie?"

Shrugging, she grinned;

"I can't be drinking on an empty stomach, Bill".

Huffing out a laugh, Guarnere shook his head;

"I fucking hate you, Lottie".

She smirked, "nah…you'd be bored without me, Bill".

"I'd be full without you".

After a day of showering, shaving and eating, the Easy officers escorted their men onto buses at 1800 hours that evening. Sitting on the bus, Charlotte felt a flicker of excitement. They were getting to leave a sleepy village and experience a town, full of people and excitement. She sat next to Guarnere, like always, with Martin and Grant behind them, while they voiced out a plan of action.

Guarnere and Grant were mainly focused on the Red Cross Girls, while Charlotte and Martin discussed alcohol. Of course, they expected bottled beers, but they were hoping for something a bit stronger too, like whiskey, or;

"Polish vodka is mad". She told Martin.

Charlotte was on her knees, looking over the seat towards Martin.

"Irena and her parents had Polish vodka".

"Were they Polish?" Martin asked.

She nodded, "aye…they got drunk off that stuff real easy".

"Shit, we're 'gonna get messy". Martin said with a large grin, "I tell you, Lottie, you're my new drinking buddy".

Charlotte snorted, "I'm new at this, Johnny".

"You drink like a damn pirate".

She smiled, "aye? Need to get me a ship or something". She then added, "I've never had the Polish vodka, but it smells like something a scientist would use".

Martin laughed, "I've had that shit before". He said, "fucking burns, kid, you'd better be careful".

Charlotte shrugged, "they might not even have it, Johnny".

Guarnere was sitting sideways, while he talked to Grant.

Charlotte reached town and tapped his shoulder.

He looked at her;

"what?"

"You got that lardy cake?"

Guarnere shook his head, "Evans didn't go to the bakers this morning, Lottie".

"Aye but…he went yesterday".

"Well, he didn't go today".

Charlotte frowned;

"can we tomorrow then?"

Sighing, Guarnere nodded;

"yeah…whatever, Lottie".

Looking back at Martin, she smiled;

"lardy cake is magic, Johnny".

When the bus stopped outside of the dancehall in Swindon, the whole of 2nd Battalion were waiting outside to enter. They had to pay a few pennies to get in but once inside, everything was cheap, and a band was playing on a stage. All the Red Cross Girls were there, serving drinks, dancing with the men or talking with them.

Easy could tell it was going to be a great night.

It was like one gigantic party.

A lot of men headed straight for the bar, where they grabbed beers, whiskey and whatever they could get their hands on. Charlotte and Martin took a shot of whiskey each, before they grabbed a bottle of beer and searched for vodka. It turned out they did have vodka, so, they mixed the strong alcohol with coke, while other men found rum and gin.

Try as he might, 1st Sargent Evans couldn't control the men that night.

Sobel didn't go to the dancehall.

It was like having the night away from a strict parent.

All around, men were having a great time.

They danced, laughed and drank.

And they all did this, while following Sobel's order.

All except Thomas Burgess, who took off his jumper.

"It's too fucking hot!" He complained.

He was hot and sweaty from dancing non-stop.

Burgess could have started a chain reaction, but Evans was there, and he'd probably tell Sobel when they got back. And no one wanted to face a punishment while hungover. Burgess was on his own.

Once well and truly drunk, Charlotte and Martin stumbled onto the dancefloor.

Swing music was playing, it was very fast-paced and many of girls were spinning in the air. The only dance move Charlotte could achieve that night was standing still, while swinging one arm, while her other hand, held onto her drink. Martin seemed to manage greater moves, his happy feet were on and he was ready to dance with anyone.

But he ended up dancing around Charlotte, while she stayed where she was.

She couldn't do the jitterbug.

Other men tried to get her doing the jitterbug.

"Move your feet, Lottie!" Malarkey told her, with a large grin, "Christ – how wasted are you?!"

Her hand stilled in the air and she looked up at him;

"brilliant!"

He laughed, "alright, Lottie…you're having fun, huh?!"

"Our little Bambino is wasted!" Muck pointed out, "hey, Lottie?! I thought you weren't 'gonna get this drunk again?!"

Charlotte shrugged;

"it's fine!"

She stumbled back and crashed into someone's back.

That same person ended up spilling his drink onto one of the Red Cross Girls dress.

"WHO THE FUCK DID THAT?!" The man yelled, angrily.

Slowly, Charlotte turned around, at the same time as the man.

And her eyes widened.

"It's you!" She exclaimed.

He pulled a face and shook his head;

"fuck…get the hell away from me, huh?!"

It was the same man that called her a tease on the Samaria.

Charlotte leaned to the side and looked at the woman;

"I'm sorry!" She apologised, truly meaning it. "And also…I'm sorry your dancing with such a fucking prick – you 'wanna dance with me instead?!"

That angered the man.

And he pushed Charlotte away.

Stumbling back, Muck quickly caught her.

Malarkey gave the man a glare;

"back off pal, huh? What the hell is your problem?!"

"That little bitch is!" The man yelled, "she's a fucking tease!"

"What?!" Muck exclaimed, "what the hell are you talking about?!"

"That you've got a fucking tease in your damn Company!"

Letting go of Charlotte, Muck took a step forward;

"let's get this straight, man! Our girl, ain't a damn, tease, alright?! She probably didn't want you and you're just sour because of it!"

The angry man took a step towards Muck;

"let me get this straight! I don't want your ugly fucking friend, alright?!"

Charlotte's eyes widened a little.

And then, she pulled a face;

"did he…is he like, insulting me?"

The angry man forced out a laugh;

"shit! Not only is she fucking ugly, but she's stupid as well!"

"Look, buddy…you'd better-"

"who's this?"

Guarnere soon stepped forward, cutting Malarkey off.

First, he looked down at his drunk friend.

When he assured himself that she was okay, Guarnere's attention went back to the man, who he had heard call his friend ugly and stupid. And Guarnere was pissed. He gave the man a nod;

"who're you?" He asked, sounding weirdly calm.

"Me? Who the fuck are you?!" The man demanded.

Guarnere grinned, "me? Jesus…I'm just a kid from South Philly, pal".

"I don't got a problem with you!" He said, "your friend is a fucking tease, alright?!"

Frowning a little and faking confusion, Guarnere asked;

"our girl?"

"Yeah!" He confirmed, "her – the fucking bitch!"

Taking in a deep breath, Guarnere took another step forward.

"You 'wanna see a magic trick?"

The man looked confused, "what?"

"Well". Guarnere said, "in about three seconds…you're 'gonna fall into a deep fucking sleep, you understand? And shit, I might not ever wake you up, you hear me? However, I'll give you a pass and I ain't 'gonna put you to sleep in front of all your buddies and that unfortunate fucking girl who was dragged into your chicken arms". He added, "but if you 'wanna sort this out, then let's head out for some fresh air, huh? And I'll kick your fucking ass and then some more".

Charlotte stumbled next to Guarnere;

"yeah". She slurred. "Fuck off…blue balls".

The man gave Charlotte a glare;

"you think this is over?"

Guarnere stepped in front of her;

"it's fucking over, pal". He said, "and if you even look at our girl again, then I'll wrap those damn chicken arms around your neck, get it?"

Huffing he took a step back;

"whatever".

"That's right". Guarnere nodded, "get fucking lost, huh? You fucking asshole".

When the man walked away, Guarnere tossed his arm around Charlotte's shoulders;

"you didn't tell me about that creep, Lottie".

Charlotte shrugged;

"was on the ship…it's fine".

"He's an ass-"

"aye…a pure prick".

"Fucking waste of air".

Sighing, Charlotte nodded;

"I'm 'gonna get more drunk".

"Yeah – me too, Lottie".

An hour after the incident and Charlotte found herself washing her hands by the sink inside the lady's bathroom. When the door opened, the Red Cross Girl who had been dancing with that man walked inside. And, instead of glaring at Charlotte, she smiled;

"I should be thanking you, actually".

Charlotte smiled, "you're…you're from Edinburgh".

"I am". She confirmed, "what about you?"

"Eh…I'm not really sure". Charlotte shrugged, "what's your name, then?"

"Lily". She responded, "what's your name?"

"Lottie – but I like Lily better".

Lily chuckled, while walking towards the sinks.

"Cheers".

"You're welcome…Lily".

One hand resting on the sink, Lily looked Charlotte up and down.

"What's your deal then?" She asked, "you wanting to be the strongest girl alive?"

Charlotte snorted and shook her head;

"nah". She mumbled, "just…just trying to live my life, eh?"

Shrugging, Lily opened up her bag and brought out a stick of lipstick;

"fair enough". She commented. "Are you…are you one of them?"

"What?"

"Like…gay?"

Charlotte's hand slipped and landed under the scolding hot water.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed, quickly pulling her hand away, "eh – why?"

Lily rubbed her red lips together, before she sorted out her hair.

She then said;

"I've met one…she cut her hair too".

Charlotte ran her hand under the cold water;

"I have to cut my hair". She mumbled, "I'm in the army".

Popping her lipstick back into her bag, Lily smiled;

"well, they locked her up in a mental house, anyway".

Charlotte frowned a little, "why?"

Lily snorted, "come on, Lottie…cause she was crazy? It's not fucking natural, is it?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte looked down at her hand;

"aye…I know".

Lily smiled at her again;

"anyway, hon. Cheers for saving me from that creep, eh? You're the best".

When she left the bathroom, Charlotte grumbled;

"well…close-minded isn't even my type".

Not being in the best of moods when she left the bathroom, Charlotte headed straight for the vodka and sat down at the table with a few others. For the next hour or so, she sat and drank, until she eventually fell asleep, with her head resting in her arms.

Lipton, Guarnere and Martin sat around her.

The buses were due to arrive in ten or so minutes, so, the officers had to get all their men ready to leave the dance hall. Charlotte's head felt like a jumbled mess, she couldn't gather her thoughts or figure out what was happening. She had passed out but could still hear voices from the men around the table. And after what Lily had told her, Charlotte felt herself spiralling into a dark hole. She wanted to grab someone and confess her sins because she felt so guilty, for not feeling what she "should be" feeling. Her mum wanted her to get married and have a family. That would never happen, not unless Charlotte lied to herself and was miserable for the rest of her life.

"I feel wrong". She mumbled into her arms.

Looking down at her, Lipton asked;

"you feel sick?"

Lifting her head, Charlotte looked up at him;

"I'm a pure mess".

Sighing heavily, Guarnere wrapped his arm around her shoulders;

"don't start, alright?" He murmured into her ear, "you're fine, Lottie".

Charlotte leaned into his side;

"I'm a piece of shit".

"Nah…you ain't that". He said to her, "you 'wanna throw-up or something?"

Guarnere was drunk as well, just not at the point of passing out.

Soon, they were ordered back on the buses to take them home.

Getting onto her feet, Charlotte slowly started to walk.

But she couldn't walk in a straight line and continued to stumble and trip.

Winters caught her arm;

"alright, fellas – back on the bus!" He ordered the men, who were still on the dancefloor, kissing those Red Cross Girls goodbye, "come on, we're moving out!"

Winters kept a hold of Charlotte, until the men eventually left the girls and walked out of the hall. He followed behind them, while practically carrying his drunk trooper. Back on the bus, she sat down next to Winters, with her head resting under the window.

It was two days of getting drunk for Charlotte and her body finally had enough.

She closed her eyes but didn't sleep.

"Sir?" She mumbled.

Winters looked down at her;

"yeah? What is it?"

"Am I a bad person?"

Frowning, he was confused by the question.

"No, Lottie". He told her, "you haven't done anything wrong".

Charlotte was quiet for a few moments.

Some men were talking but the majority of them were sleeping.

"Sorry…I'm drunk, sir". She said quietly.

"It's your night off, trooper". Winters reminded her.

Charlotte sighed, "aye, sir…was fun".

He smiled, "glad you enjoyed yourself".

Before she fell asleep, Charlotte said;

"Lily was wrong…we're not crazy".

Winters pulled a face;

"who's Lily?"

But he didn't receive an answer.


	12. Chapter 11

On a Saturday afternoon, with her glove in her back pocket and a ball in her right hand, Charlotte walked down the quiet village and headed towards the only grocer, where Mr Barnes worked. She had planned to knock on their front door but found Winters sitting on the front step by the door.

Tossing the ball into the air, she caught it, before jogging over to him.

"Lieutenant Winters?"

Looking up from a manual he was reading, Winters smiled;

"afternoon, Lottie".

"Afternoon, sir". She saluted the officer.

Smiling still, Winters got up;

"you hear for a social visit? Or did something happen in the huts?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"social, sir". She replied, "most of the men went to London…I didn't 'wanna do that today".

"Oh?" Winters raised a curious eyebrow, "what did you 'wanna do, trooper?"

Charlotte smiled;

"can we play ball, sir?"

And he smiled back, with a nod;

"sure can". He said, "I'll grab my glove".

Winters grabbed his glove and left the house very quickly, as if he hadn't left his adoptive family's home for weeks. Once by her side, the pair of them walked away from the row of houses and headed for a green field, behind the church. Charlotte asked about the Barnes's.

"They're good people". Winters replied, "they've got an evacuee, Elaine, she's Ann's age. In fact, Elaine is the same height as you".

Charlotte snorted, "really, sir?"

Smirking, he nodded;

"she is, trooper".

Once in the field, Charlotte threw the ball at Winters, who caught it.

The pair of them threw the ball towards one another, talking about life in Aldbourne, training and upcoming field exercises. But then they could talk about Winters parents, and the letters Charlotte had been writing back to them. And on that topic of family, Charlotte asked him;

"you going to Jim's wedding, sir?"

He nodded, "I am". Winters confirmed, "Guarnere told me that you and Joe sorted it out".

"Aye, we did, sir". She replied, while catching the ball. "Have you met Mary, sir?"

"Jim's girl? Nope, not yet".

Charlotte threw the ball;

"she's nice". She told him, "I met her sister too, she's a year older than me".

Winters smiled, "new friend?"

Shrugging, Charlotte caught the ball.

"Maybe, sir".

"1st of November's the big day". Winters said, "is Jim nervous?"

Smirking, Charlotte threw the ball to him.

"He is, sir". She told him, "but he pretends not to be".

Winters sighed, "well – they haven't known each other that long".

"They're mental, sir". Charlotte smiled, "but…if they're happy, eh?"

"That's right". He agreed, "life's too short".

When she caught the ball next, Charlotte grinned;

"how far, sir?"

Snorting, Winters shook his head and jogged backwards.

"How's this?!" He called out.

She nodded;

"brilliant, sir!"

Throwing the ball, Winters reached up and caught it.

"Good job, trooper!"

"Cheers, sir!"

After a few hours of playing ball with Winters, Charlotte walked back into the hut and was surprised to see Jackson, Campbell and Potter there. Raising an eyebrow, she put her ball and glove away;

"what's going on, lads?" She asked quietly.

"You". Jackson said, "you ain't hitting London?"

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head;

"was out with Johnny last night".

"We know". Campbell said, "and he's heading to London with Luz and Perconte soon".

She smirked, "aye?"

"Sure is, Lottie". Potter said smoothly, "now, how about some whiskey, huh?"

"I'm not sure…".

Campbell rolled his eyes, "come on, Lottie…just come out, huh? We start training again on Monday, we were lucky to get this pass…besides, it's my bachelorette party".

Smirking, Charlotte asked;

"is that right?"

"It is". He replied with a grin, "can't have a party without my guys, huh?"

Jackson tossed his arm around her shoulders;

"so, get yourself ready and dressed…we're raising in hell with the fellas in London".

Charlotte was pulled into hitting London with the men.

After a quick shower and a change of uniform, Charlotte headed into the barn for some coffee, hoping to squish a headache with some caffeine. Her friends informed her of the plan of action for that night, apparently, Guarnere wanted Campbell to be surrounded by girls.

"That ain't happening". He said, "my Mary don't deserve that hassle".

"Good choice, brother". Potter approved, "your Mary deserves to be treated respectfully".

Jackson shrugged, "I'd give you a pass, Jim".

Campbell smirked, "well, ain't you considerate, Jack…should be marrying you instead, huh?"

"Fuck off – you knew what I meant".

Charlotte snorted;

"I don't 'wanna see Jack in a white dress…the thought gives me the fucking fear".

Jackson nudged her arm;

"you drinking tonight?" He asked, "you fucking better be…I ain't taking no for an answer".

"Then why did you even ask me, Jack?" Charlotte said, with a hint of a smile.

Campbell winked at her, "stay away from the vodka, huh?"

Charlotte huffed out a laugh;

"I will…I'm not drinking that much".

**…**

Inside a small club named the Bow and Arrow, Charlotte downed a shot of whiskey, leaned back and missed the stool completely. Landing bum first on the floor, she looked up at Martin and started to laugh, he of course, laughed with her.

As soon as Charlotte reached the club, Martin already had shots of whiskey laid out for her and of course, a bottle of Polish vodka. From the moment she got in, she hadn't stopped drinking with Martin and the pair of them remained at the bar, getting drunker by the minute. A band was playing, people were dancing, and her friends were having a great time. It seemed everyone was out that night, even Campbell's fiancé and her sister, Maggie.

Martin got down to help her up but ended up falling back into a bar stool.

Charlotte landed on her back, in a fit of laughter.

"Ah – my fucking ass!" Martin yelled through a laugh.

"My fucking stomach hurts from laughing!" Charlotte announced.

Somehow, they managed to get back onto their unbalanced feet.

Sitting safely on the bar stool, they continued to take the rest of their shots.

"This one is for my rifle!" Martin said, holding up his shot of whiskey, "my rifle…she ain't ever let me down – God fucking bless her-"

"God fucking bless her". Charlotte repeated.

Their glasses lightly tapped together, and they downed that shot of whiskey.

After a few more shots, Martin and Charlotte joined their friends on the dancefloor.

And, just like the other many times they danced together, the pair of them stumbled around, crashed into other bodies and fell onto the ground. Martin and Charlotte were messy dancers when drunk but their friends let them off, knowing they were both having a good time.

It wasn't until Charlotte bumped into Maggie, did the night suddenly take a turn.

Maggie wasn't mad but she did grab onto Charlotte's hand, who could feel a spark of electricity run up her arm and warm her stomach. The pair of them stared at each other for a few moments and didn't say a word, Charlotte didn't even think she was breathing. Maggie was a little bit taller but not by much, she had blonde hair, brown eyes and dimples by her lips.

Maggie was beautiful.

"Sorry". Charlotte said to her softly.

And she smiled, showing off her dimples.

"It's okay". Maggie assured her, "are you okay?"

Charlotte nodded quickly;

"aye – I'm grand".

She chuckled, "are you sure?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled;

"brilliant…are you okay?"

Maggie's smile softened, "I'm perfect".

Charlotte let out a breathless sound, "oh…yeah – that's – yeah, brilliant".

She chuckled again, "it's warm in here, isn't it?"

"It's alright". Charlotte said, "like – it's a wee bit warm but-"

Giving her a knowing look, Maggie cleared her throat.

With a shy sort of smile, Charlotte huffed out a laugh;

"eh…right – aye, it's pure warm. I'm melting".

Maggie gave Charlotte's hand a squeeze;

"will you follow me?"

"Okay…I'll follow you".

Hand in hand, the pair of them left the dancefloor and headed out into the hallway.

Her friends hadn't realised she had gone off with Maggie, neither did Mary, Maggie's older sister. Everyone was too busy having fun, getting drunk and dancing with the English girls, who seemed to love the American paratroopers. Grant and Guarnere were in their element.

Guarnere was dancing with a brunette, who he managed to convince to go back into the village with him, or, as he liked to put it, an;

"after party, sweetheart".

The brunette bit her lip;

"is that right, Billy?"

Guarnere hummed, "you'd bet, baby…hey – you want an early start?"

She gasped, "Billy…wherever will we go?"

Taking her hand, he winked and told her;

"follow me, toots. I'll show you what it's like being with a red-blooded American, huh?"

Guarnere led the English girl out into the hallway and eventually caught sight of a storage cupboard. Giving her a wink, he let go of her hand and opened the door.

However, he didn't expect to see what was in front of him.

"Lottie?" Guarnere mumbled, sounding dumfounded.

Taking a step back, he quickly turned to the brunette;

"uh – get back in, alright? I 'gotta – just get lost for now".

The brunette gaped;

"rude!" She yelled, "I don't want to see you again!"

When she left, Guarnere faced the scene once again.

Charlotte was now standing out of the storage cupboard, while Maggie bowed her head and ran back into the dancehall, probably to find her sister and get the hell out of the London. Or even the country, Charlotte didn't know, and she sobered up pretty quickly, when Guarnere found her kissing another woman.

She felt sick from the look on Guarnere's face.

And she felt her heartache, knowing their friendship was probably over.

Running a hand down his face, Guarnere turned around and started to walk away.

Charlotte's head snapped up.

She marched over to him and grabbed his arm;

"don't". She stressed.

"Lottie-"

"no, stop it – right? Cause…I'm not 'gonna make up a fucking excuse and say that I'm drunk or whatever, Bill". Charlotte expressed, while tears filled her eyes. "And if you 'wanna turn me in, then fine – I don't give a shit – well, I sort of do but…just…don't turn Maggie in, okay? And please don't hate me for too long, you mean a fucking lot to me, Bill".

Guarnere continued to stare at her, with a deep frown.

Charlotte let go of his arm;

"it's people like – like fucking Hitler, who should be locked up".

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Not folk like us". She whispered, shaking her head. "I didn't ask to be…to be gay, Bill".

Guarnere took in a tiny sharp breath.

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck and sniffed;

"it is what it is, Bill". She whispered, "just – whatever, eh? I don't fucking care if I go to hell, you know? At least I'll be going down there as me, and not some fucking fake person, who lives a fake life and has a husband she doesn't even like-"

"you ain't going to hell". Guarnere cut her off quietly.

Charlotte looked up at him;

"what?" She whispered, "you're Catholic".

He snorted, "alright…so, I believe in God. That ain't 'gonna stop me from believing in you, or being your best pal, Lottie".

Charlotte felt her bottom lip tremble.

Guarnere smiled sadly;

"you're a good fucking person, Lottie. And it ain't my damn life, you understand? You like girls? Alright, I'll stand by you. You get caught for liking girls? I'll get you out of jail. And I'll get you 'outta of those shitty situations to come 'cause you're my friend for life, Lottie. And nothing's 'gonna change that".

A tiny sob left her;

"then how come you were 'gonna walk away?"

Sighing, Guarnere placed his hand on her shoulder, "figured we could use a drink, Lottie".

Another soft sob left her;

"you had me fucking going, you prick".

With tears in his own eyes, Guarnere pulled her into a hug.

"I know…I'm awful".

She hugged him back, "the worst". She mumbled tearfully into his chest.

He kissed the top of her head;

"you're my little sister out here, Lottie". He told her, "we got each other's backs, huh?"

Her grip around his waist tightened;

"you better believe it, Bill".

Charlotte would trust Guarnere with anything.

And once their tears were gone and wiped away, the two friends walked back into the dancehall and re-joined the party. After a few shots at the bar, Charlotte was back to being drunk again and back to dancing like a fool with Martin, her greatest drinking buddy. A great weight had been lifted off Charlotte's chest because someone knew, for the first time since she knew, someone else was there by her side, and it happened to be the best possible person to support her throughout this time of struggle.

Charlotte was comfortable with being gay but half the world, would happily lock people like her away but not people like Guarnere. He was open-minded, kind and understanding. Guarnere didn't care what you were, as long as you were kind, respectful and knew how to share a good time. He was like no one she had ever met, not even her twin brothers were as accepting as Guarnere.

Charlotte was lucky to have him as her best friend.

"You ever uh…you know – with a guy?"

She shook her head, "nah…never fancied it".

Guarnere grinned, "I get it – not really – fuck it. I'm trying, huh?"

Charlotte smiled, "aye…my pal, you are".

It was the end of the party and the men made the drunken walk to the bus stop, for the five o'clock ride home that early morning. Guarnere wasn't as drunk as he thought and ended up placing Charlotte on his back for the walk to the bus stop. She was half asleep, her head resting on his shoulder. Martin was stumbling in front of them, leaning against Toye, after emptying the contents of his stomach. He seemed to vomit a lot when drunk.

Muck, Malarkey and Lipton were singing somewhere at the back of the group. Charlotte smiled small, in her sleepy state. Malarkey had a good singing voice; she could hear it among the out of key singers belting with him.

The night could have taken a turn for the worst.

If Guarnere hadn't found her, then someone else might have.

Charlotte would need to be more careful.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek;

"love you, prick".

Guarnere huffed out a laugh;

"you asshole…but yeah, love you too".

Everything seemed to be perfect.

Everything felt right.

But of course, that would never last.

Because things would change so quickly, within the weeks to come.

**…**

During a training exercise in October, situations started to buttheads.

Sobel was still the greatest problem within the Company and the Sargent's were being very quiet about the matter, which worried Charlotte and a few others. Moe would sneak off into the barn with Guarnere, Grant, Diel, Martin, Lipton and the other NCO'S and their squads or Platoons wouldn't see them until it was time for training, which was odd.

Charlotte would usually have a drink with Martin, Guarnere and Grant on a Saturday in the Crown but that hadn't happened for a few weeks, her friends claimed to be "busy" doing "Sargent things", which she didn't believe. A worrying thought crossed her mind, where she thought Guarnere might have told everyone and they were avoiding her like the plague.

When she should have been drinking hot beer with her friends, Charlotte ended up taking a walk around the village instead, which was boring compared to getting drunk. Her boots kicked up stones and when she heard the sound of laughter, her heart picked up with joy and she jogged towards the sound.

Only to find Bull, Perconte, Malarkey and a few others playing a small game of basketball.

Sighing, Charlotte stuffed her hands into her pockets and bowed her head.

"Jesus – who pissed in your coffee, kid?"

Looking up, she spotted Nixon and Winters leaning against a wall, across the road from the men playing basketball. Giving her old Platoon leader a tight smile, she wandered over to them.

"It's well boring, sir".

"Yeah? You want a job?" Winters asked, teasing slightly. "The latrines could use a clean, Lottie. Or, you could always tidy up your space for inspections".

Charlotte let out another sigh, with a small smile;

"aye, I could, sir".

Winters smiled;

"what's the matter? Where's your buddies?"

Charlotte shrugged, "they're doing Sargent stuff…but I don't even know what that is".

"Sounds important". Winters said.

"Must be, sir".

Jumping onto the wall, Charlotte sat down and watched her friends play basketball.

She then asked Winters;

"when's our next practice, sir?"

"After Christmas, trooper". He told her, "we play Fox in February".

Her eyes lightened at that; they hadn't played a match since Dog Company.

"Sounds good, sir". Charlotte replied softly.

Nixon brought out a cigarette and lit it up;

"do you know anything about the Major Horton incident, kid?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"not heard nothing, sir".

Which of course, was a lie. Everyone knew Luz mimicked Major Hortons voice to trick Sobel into cutting a barbed wired fence, in order to get the field exercise moving. Charlotte wasn't there but she laughed when she heard about it and the aftermath with all the cows roaming the village.

"Took a while for all them cows to get moved". Nixon said.

Charlotte laughed and tried to cover it up with a cough.

Winters raised his eyebrow and looked at her;

"you know nothing, huh?" He asked, "you're spending too much time with Guarnere".

She smiled and shrugged;

"he's my best pal, sir…can't help that he's obsessed with me".

Winters chuckled, "I'm sure he is, trooper".

Charlotte smiled and faced the front again, only to see Evans jeep pull up by the street across from them. The man left the vehicle, with a smug smile on his face while he handed Winters a sealed letter;

"with Captain Sobel's compliments, sir".

Frowning a little, she watched the 1st Sargent turn around and walk back towards his jeep. Charlotte then smirked, when Bull hit the back of Evan's jeep, before he drove off.

"Oh, for crying out loud". Winters said through a sigh.

Nixon looked at the letter and snorted;

"misspelled court martial".

Charlotte's eyes widened;

"what?!" She exclaimed, and not very quietly.

The basketball squad all jerked their heads towards her.

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"sir?" She asked, quietly this time.

Sighing, Winters placed the letter into his pocket;

"I've 'gotta deal with this". He mumbled, "Lottie, not a word".

When he left, Charlotte cursed under her breath;

"shit".

Nixon looked at her, "if it was me…I'd say something".

She looked back at him;

"but he-"

"I'd still say something".

As it turned out, Charlotte didn't have to say a thing because by the time she arrived back into the barrack with her squad and the mortar squad, they had already been informed. The entire Company knew about it.

Charlotte only knew about the court martial; she didn't know anything else.

So, Malarkey and Muck filled her in;

"he was late for inspecting the latrines-"

"apparently". Muck chimed in, "Sobel changed the times and Winters hadn't heard about it".

"So". Malarkey said, "Sobel offered to revoked his weekend pass-"

"or a court martial".

It was like watching a tennis match.

Charlotte's head went from Malarkey and back to Muck again.

"And?" She asked,

Muck sighed, "he went for a court martial-"

"we lost him to Battalion Mess, until they sort this shit out". Malarkey finished.

Charlotte's shoulders dropped;

"so…what'd we do?"

"Well, I heard-"

"from me". Malarkey said.

Muck nodded, "yes – from Don…that the Sargent's are 'gonna turn in their stripes".

Charlotte frowned, "alright…what does that mean?"

Malarkey sighed, "they're 'gonna basically leave Easy".


	13. Chapter 12

_ "They're 'gonna basically leave Easy". _

Charlotte was sitting on the wall outside of their Nissan huts.

Her legs swung; her boots banged into the stones.

It had started to rain; she could feel the water drop on the top of her hair.

Smoking the rest of her cigarette, Charlotte flicked the end away and jumped down from the wall. Taking in a deep and calming breath, she walked over towards the barn and walked inside. And, just like she assumed, the Sargent's were gathered around a table, the rest of the place was empty.

"Lottie?" Lipton questioned, when she closed the door.

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck, still facing the closed double doors.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she tried to calm her racing heart.

And all the different emotions, bubbling away in her stomach.

Closing her eyes and gathering up the courage, Charlotte turned around and faced the Sargent's.

Guarnere instantly knew what was bothering her, it didn't take a smart person to figure that out. Like the men in Easy, she had caught wind of what the Sargent's were planning to do, the ultimate sacrifice to get rid of Sobel, once and for all.

Charlotte couldn't see it like that, not at the moment.

She was too angry and upset to see any sense in the plan.

Finishing off his cigarette, Guarnere got onto his feet;

"you got something to say, Lottie?"

Her eyes snapped towards his.

"Aye". She answered lowly, "aye…I might do".

Crossing his arms over his chest, he nodded;

"alright…stage is yours, huh?"

"Can we…like, step outside or-"

"nah". Guarnere denied, "nah – come on, you marched in here, huh? You can say what you've 'gotta say in front of everyone".

A few of the chairs creaked, while the Sargent's all looked her way.

Guarnere smiled a little;

"come on, Lottie…what's eating you?"

Her composure broke a little;

"why are you…why're you doing this?" She asked him quietly.

Guarnere shrugged, "cause you can, huh? That's what we're here for, Lottie. To listen in".

Charlotte rubbed her hands together and took a step forward;

"alright". She murmured, "well…thing is, right? Well, firstly – I didn't march in here".

Martin shrugged, "you sort of did, buddy".

"Yeah, we were having a meeting". Grant told her, with a smile.

"I didn't know that". Charlotte mumbled.

Guarnere smirked;

"you did". He said, "don't fucking lie, Lottie".

Charlotte sighed, "well…it doesn't really matter, I'm here now".

Lipton felt his lips twitched;

"so, what was it, pal?"

She leaned against the table, the ends of her fingers pressing against the dark wood.

Charlotte shrugged, "was just…just worried, eh?"

Ranney leaned back against his chair;

"that's understandable". He approved, "you ain't the only one to tell us that".

Her eyes briefly looked at him, before they landed on the table again.

"And…aye, well – I'm a bit pissed off, actually".

A few of them raised an eyebrow.

"You are?" Talbert asked.

Charlotte nodded, "aye…that's right, I'm pissed off".

She raised her eyes, looking between Guarnere, Grant and Martin.

"This ain't about you". Guarnere told her truthfully. "Don't make this about you, Lottie".

"I know". Charlotte mumbled, "but…I 'dunno, Bill. I just…it's just shit, how you's have to do this, you know? Like, how it's come to this mutiny shit".

"No one mentioned mutiny, Lottie". Lipton reminded her softly.

Her eyes flicked towards him;

"sorry, Lip but…it sort of is, eh? Like, Sinks 'gonna be proper fucking pissed. What if he boots you all out? Or shoot you's?" Her voice raised a little, "what the fuck are we-"

Charlotte stopped and cleared her throat.

And said more calmly;

"it's just shit…that's all".

Her eyes then moved towards Guarnere;

"would hate to see you's go".

Charlotte left the barn shortly after, leaving the men to do it.

And when she did step away from the barn, she saw Captain Sobel, which was like seeing a ghost. Charlotte's eyes widened when she spotted the man, who soon noticed her.

"Private Gallagher". He addressed.

Walking towards him, she stood at attention.

"Sir".

"At ease".

Charlotte stood at ease and continued to look up at him.

"Have you seen 1st Sargent Evans, Private?"

"I haven't, sir". She replied, "he might be at the bakery".

Sobel almost smiled;

"lardy cake, I assume".

Charlotte could have sworn, she saw some form of humanity behind his dark eyes.

And for the first time, she actually did stand at ease in front of the Captain.

"We like lardy cake, sir".

Blinking a few times, Sobel looked down at her;

"Private, I order you to search for 1st Sargent Evans at the bakery".

"Yes, sir".

"And to purchase enough lardy cakes for the Company".

As if that wasn't surprising enough, Sobel handed her the correct amount of money.

Her eyes went as wide as plates.

_ "What the fuck is going on?"_ She thought, totally dumbfounded.

Charlotte figured Sobel must have known something was going on and perhaps, he was trying to find some allies within the Company. However, Charlotte would have liked to believe, that he was doing this out of kindness and respect towards his Company. They had worked hard in this small village and deserved a treat, after all.

**…**

Charlotte handed around lardy cake for all the men in the Company.

But she had other worries to handle.

Grabbing Guarnere and Lipton out from the Sargent's barrack, she pulled them to the side.

"The duck knows".

Lipton frowned, "why do you think that?"

"He gave me money to buy fucking lardy cake, Lip". She said, "that screams that he knows".

Guarnere sighed, "Evans must have told him".

"What'd you need me to do, lads?" Charlotte asked, "want me to grab Winters or something?"

Lipton sighed, "it's too late, Lottie…we've handed our letters into Evans basket".

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte searched the ground of an answer.

"We need Winters back". She mumbled, "and we need to get someone on our side, from the inside".

Charlotte did form a tiny idea in her head.

And she decided to act on it, before Sink received those letters.

Leaving the two Sargent's quickly, she snuck into the 1st Sargent's barrack and collected the basket of letters, that were to be sent off to Battalion later on. Leaving with a small basket of letters, Charlotte snuck away from the Nissan huts and practically bolted up the village and towards a country path, which led to a large manor, where Battalion stayed.

Charlotte ended up sticking the letters into her jacket and abandoning the basket, as it created a huge distraction, for trying to act normal and get into the manor without looking suspicious. She opened the doors, as if walking into a friend's house and saw a few officers walked in front of the stairs case, heading into a large room to the left.

Feeling slightly nervous and out of place, Charlotte walked into the centre of the entrance.

Looking around her, she tried to find a familiar face.

"Lottie?" A familiar voice called from the right.

Following that voice, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief;

"Lieutenant Nixon". She addressed quietly.

He pulled a puzzled face;

"what the hell are you doing here?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I didn't really think this out".

Nixon raised his eyebrow in amusement.

She sighed, "sir, stuffs happening, eh? And I've stolen a ton of letters".

"Letters?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…but it's to be hush-hush, sir".

Nixon snorted, "got it – well, agent Gallagher, how about we talk somewhere private?"

She nodded again;

"aye, good idea, sir". Charlotte agreed, "anyone could be listening".

The pair of them walked outside of the manor and found a small cluster of trees by a field. Charlotte handed him a letter and while he read over it, she lit up a cigarette and took a much-needed drag, to relax her tense state. Nixon read over that first letter twice;

"they're all the same?"

"Aye". She said, "just with different names at the bottom".

Nixon sighed, "Sink will see that as an act of mutiny".

"They think it'll get rid of Sobel, sir". Charlotte mumbled, "but…I 'dunno, like. Maybe it will. We just want Winters back, eh? And a good Company leader".

"Yeah…you deserve one". He mumbled, "you found these in Evans barrack?"

Charlotte nodded, "they told me where they were, sir".

Nixon snorted and looked down at her;

"and you decided to take them, huh?"

She shrugged, "needed someone on the inside, sir – should we go through with it?"

"They already have, kid". Nixon handed the letter back to her, "they just don't know you stole the letters".

Sighing, she placed the letter back into her pocket;

"I should see Major Strayer, eh?"

"You'd get into trouble, Lottie". Nixon warned her, "he'd think you instigated the idea".

Charlotte huffed, "nah…I'm not that fucking clever, sir".

"Come on…sure you are".

Shrugging, Charlotte looked up at him;

"but I don't mind if he thinks I did it". She said, "I don't want them getting shot or booted out".

Nixon's lips twitched;

"well…go for it, Lottie".

"Aye, think I will, sir".

"Good luck, kid".

Rubbing the back of her neck, she then asked him;

"where's he living, sir?"

Smiling, Nixon clapped her shoulder;

"I'll take you, come on".

In the space of five minutes, Charlotte found herself inside Major Strayer's office with Nixon, who didn't leave her side. After saluting the Major, Charlotte approached the man's desk nervously and felt her hands grow clammy with anxiety. It was very intimidating, and she felt sick from the build-up of nerves.

Strayer looked her up and down;

"your Colonel Gallagher's kid, right?"

Blinking a few times, Charlotte nodded;

"I am, sir".

"I was sorry to hear of his passing, Private. I've heard only good things about your father".

She felt her lips twitch;

"thank you, sir".

Strayer sighed, "well…this certainly is a surprise, Private Gallagher. Care to explain the occasion?"

Biting her lower lip for a few moments in thought, she eventually said;

"Major Strayer, see if your pal – I mean, friend – like, if he was in trouble, you'd do loads to help, right, sir?"

Slightly confused, Strayer nodded slowly;

"I suppose I would, Private".

"Or like – it would be anyone, eh? Like your wife…or your mum…brother, sister. Even your uncle or some distant-"

Nixon cleared his throat, cutting her off.

Charlotte took in a deep breath;

"well…my pals, they're worried about everyone else, sir". She said, "and I'm 'gonna give you these letters, sir".

Reaching into her pocket, she placed all the letters on his desk.

"I hope you understand, sir".

Strayer picked up on of the letters.

And she could see his face slowly twist into anger.

He pulled the letter away and stood up sharply;

"what the hell are these?!" He demanded, "they want to leave Easy?! Why the hell are they leaving Easy?!"

Strayer then shook his head;

"all of the Sargent's want to turn in their stripes?"

He couldn't believe it.

Strayer shook his head;

"why in God's name…".

He then looked down at Charlotte, who was staring at the letters on the desk.

"Your father would not approve of this, Private Gallagher". He said to her lowly.

Biting her bottom lip, she slowly met his hard stare.

Strayer sighed, "if this was your idea…then you're in a hell of a lot of trouble".

Eyes growing heavy with a moment of grief, Charlotte took in a shuddering breath.

"Major Strayer". She mumbled softly, "my dad would have done anything to save his pals, sir".

"You're admitting this was your idea?"

Charlotte would have done anything for her friends.

"I am, sir".

Strayer shook his head;

"Private, you're excluded from training and placed on mess hall duties until I figure out what to do with you. Pack your things".

Charlotte, though she wanted so badly to crumble, kept her head held high;

"yes, sir".

It was sad to see Charlotte pack up her things that early evening.

But for Guarnere, he was livid.

"What the fuck did you do?!" He demanded, while marching into their hut.

Grimacing, Potter and Jackson stepped away from her.

"Huh!?" Guarnere yelled, "what the hell did you do?!"

Charlotte shook her head;

"Bill…what's the fucking point in fighting without you's there, eh?"

"Cut the crap, Lottie". He spat, "this ain't about you, alright?!"

"Aye, I know!" Charlotte snapped back, "it's not about me – it's about the fucking Company, I get it, eh?! But here, Bill. You's are a part of this Company too…and if I take some of the heat off you's then maybe you'll all be standing here – alive and not shot down by Sink's firing squad!"

"Great!" Guarnere yelled, "so, you told Strayer it was your idea?! You're so fucking brave, Lottie! What'd you want? A medal of damn honour?!"

Charlotte slung her duffel bag over her shoulder;

"aye!" She yelled back, "that would be braw – or how about, you stop fucking yelling at me!"

Sending him a glare, Charlotte walked towards the door.

"Shut the fuck up, Lottie!" Guarnere yelled, walking after her, "you don't 'gotta be a damn hero! This is the sort of bullshit, that's 'gonna get you killed out in combat!"

Pulling the door open, Charlotte stepped outside;

"piss off, Bill!" She yelled, while walking away, "I just wanted to do something good!"

"Well – clean the damn latrines!"

"I didn't 'wanna!"

"You never clean the latrines!"

Charlotte stopped walking and turned to looked up at him;

"aye, I fucking do!" She argued, "I cleaned them last week, you prick!"

"Yeah?! Well, you did a shit job, Lottie!"

She snorted, "fuck off, Bill! I'm better than you!"

Guarnere huffed, "no you ain't! You have to keep on taking breaks-"

"aye! Cause the brushes hurt my wrists!"

"That's makes no damn sense!"

"It does!" She expressed, "you know? The way I hold the fucking brush – whatever, it's an awkward angle, Bill!"

"Bullshit!" Guarnere said, "you just get tired – you baby".

"Aye, well you –". Charlotte stopped and shook her head.

A burst of laughter escaped from Guarnere.

And Charlotte ended up laughing with him.

When the laughter stopped, he tossed his arm around her shoulders;

"I get it, Lottie". He said, "you wanted to protect your pal, huh?"

Leaning into his side, Charlotte nodded.

"Don't worry, Lottie". Guarnere said, "I'm 'gonna get you 'outta there".

**…**

Mess hall duties were horrible.

Charlotte sat and peeled carrots and potatoes for the entire morning.

The only upside was seeing Winters, who gave out the orders each morning with other officers, who were there to learn more leadership skills. Apparently, they weren't cutting out to be good Platoon leaders and ended up in Battalion Mess. Obviously, Winters didn't belong there.

Winters was the best officer.

Charlotte hated seeing him look so miserable.

However, he did smile when he saw her;

"Lottie?"

She looked up from the carrot she was peeling and managed a small smile;

"morning, sir".

Winters crouched in front of her, "what are you doing here?"

Charlotte sighed;

"did you hear about what the Sargent's did?"

And he frowned, "I did". Winters replied lowly.

"I involved myself". She mumbled, "it was stupid".

Winters sighed, "maybe it was, huh? But I'm sure you had a good enough reason".

"They're not 'gonna care about me, sir". Charlotte whispered, "if anyone's 'gonna get the boot, it's 'gonna be me".

"Don't say that". Winters mumbled, "you're a great soldier, Lottie and you've improved so much since arriving in Toccoa".

She gave him a half smile;

"guess we'll see, eh?"

Frowning still, Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"You settling in with your new roommates?"

Charlotte snorted, "well…they're not my pals, sir".

His frown deepened, "are they giving you any bother?"

She shook her head;

"nah…they're alright, sir – just pure quiet, eh?"

"Well, they're being transferred out".

A look of defeat crossed Charlotte's face;

"like me, sir?"

Winters shook his head, "no…Major Strayer is still working things out".

Shaking her head, she grabbed another carrot.

"My dad would have done the same". Charlotte muttered, "he would have done that, to save a Company".

Winters smiled softly, "I'm sure he would have, trooper".

Charlotte slept in the basement of Battalion with six other men, who were being transferred out of 2nd Battalion. She didn't know their names, only that they had done something bad enough to get kicked out of their Companies. Charlotte didn't even look at these men, frightened they'd try and start something with her.

Conditions down in the basement weren't nice but they weren't terrible.

It was colder, darker and Charlotte had seen a few spiders tucked into the corner of their room, but she tried to ignore them, just so she could grab a few hours of sleep before an early rise in the morning. It was a little creepy down in the basement, with many noises. Whether it was a dripping sound, or the rattling from old pipes, Charlotte managed to convince herself that the basement was haunted. So, sleeping was a challenge.

One night, at around nine, someone knocked on the basement door.

It frightened Charlotte and she refused to open the door.

One of the men did, however, and Winters was standing on the other side.

Putting on her boots and jacket, Charlotte left the room.

"Alright, sir?"

Nodding, Winters placed his hand on her shoulder;

"Major Strayer wants a word, Lottie".

She felt her heart pick up in speed;

"aye?" Charlotte whispered.

"Yeah". He told her, "the men were called-up to Sinks office today".

She sharply looked up at him;

"are my pals alright, sir?"

He smiled a little, "they're fine, trooper…unfortunately, Sargent Harris is being transferred out of the Company and Ranney has been demoted to Private, but no one got shot".

Charlotte's shoulders dropped it relief;

"thank God, sir".

Winters squeezed her shoulder;

"yeah…also, Sobel's gone".

Her eyes widened again, "eh?"

"He's being assigned to Chilton Foliat. He's 'gonna lead the jump school there".

"Jesus". Charlotte whispered, "that's loads of information".

Winters snorted, "yeah".

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte then asked;

"what about us, sir?"

He looked down at her, "guess we're 'gonna find out, trooper".

Charlotte prepared for the worst and hoped for the best.

She was in a strange state of calmness, which quickly vanished, upon entering Strayers office but not because of the Major himself, but the Colonel standing with him. When Winters closed the door, Charlotte felt her eyes widened and planned to keep her mouth shut and wait until Sink eventually told her, she was being transferred.

Not forgetting where she was, Charlotte stood at attention and saluted the Colonel.

Sink put down his glass of whiskey and stood before her.

He looked down at her, from under his moustache.

"Private Gallagher". He addressed. "Stand at ease".

She stood at ease and dropped the salute.

But felt every muscle in her body tense.

And her stomach churn, with nerves.

Sink continued to stare at her;

"General Lee was right".

Winters frowned a little and turned to look at the Colonel.

"You look just like your father, Private Gallagher". Sink commented.

Blinking a few times, Charlotte looked up at him.

"Did you ever meet General Lee, Private?"

Charlotte shook her head.

She couldn't seem to find her voice.

Sink smiled a little, "well…he spoke highly of your father, Private. They had developed a friendship from a shared mutual friend. Now, General Lee suggested to your father, for you to join my Regiment, Private Gallagher. And in my Regiment, I expect the best to come out of hard training and create hardened paratroopers".

Despite her lips being closed, Charlotte's mouth felt dry.

And her hands started to shake a little.

"Private Gallagher, it was not you, who came up with the act of mutiny". Sink stated, "the two men who planned the act, came forward and admitted their crime to me. In turn, one was transferred out of my Regiment, I busted the other to Private. A fair punishment, in my defence".

Strayer cleared his throat, "it was, sir".

Sink continued to stare at her;

"as for you, Private Gallagher…I hope you realise how lucky you are, to have good comrades around you, who are willing to own up to their own mistakes, to protect the innocent".

Charlotte felt a lump for in her throat, for whatever reason.

"And seeing as you are in fact, innocent, no further action is required". Sink told her, "you're a good trooper, Private Gallagher. And I'm sure Colonel Gallagher would be proud of you".

Feeling tears fill her eyes, she gave a quick nod.

Sink gave her a nod back and then looked over at Winters;

"Lieutenant, take Private Gallagher and yourself back to 2nd Platoon. That damn court martial has given me a headache. Luckily for us, we've managed to squash that damn court martial".

A smile appeared on Winters face;

"yes, sir".

After saluting the men inside the room, Winters and Charlotte left Strayer's office and felt a weight being lifted off their shoulders. Charlotte leaned against the wall and felt her legs give way. Sliding down against the wall, she sat on her bum with a sigh.

Winters looked down at her;

"alright there, Lottie?"

Running a shaky hand down her face, Charlotte nodded.

Smiling sadly, Winters crouched in front of her;

"we're going back, huh? It's over, Lottie".

Shaking her head, a hand covered her teary eyes.

She sniffed, "God…I was proper shaking".

Winters hand went on her shoulder.

Charlotte sniffed again, "thought I was on my way out".

He squeezed her shoulder, "they 'wanna keep you around". Winters told her warmly, "for now, huh?" He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She choked out a tiny laugh, which sounded close to a sob.

Charlotte took in a deep breath;

"I think cause he mentioned dad, eh?"

Winters nodded.

He could understand that, the reason for her tears.

But then again;

"it's okay, trooper". He told her softly, "it's fine to miss him".

Sniffing, she nodded and wiped her eyes.

Charlotte sighed;

"I'm a pure mess, sir".

Winters smiled sadly, "I've seen a lot worse, trooper".

He gave her shoulder a squeeze;

"should we go back now?"

A tiny smile reached Charlotte's lips;

"aye, sir…let's go home".


	14. Chapter 13

Packing away her Class A uniform, very neatly into a case, Charlotte left the Nissan hut and met everyone else outside. Tomorrow, Campbell and Mary would tie the knot in a lovely church in Edinburgh, which Charlotte and Toye had planned out for them. She had picked St Giles Cathedral, located in the Royal Mile.

And seeing as Toye and Charlotte had planned the whole thing, Campbell picked them both to be his best men. Charlotte wasn't aware of wedding traditions, but she was sure only one man could be a best man. However, it was Campbell's wedding, not hers. He could have as many best men as he wanted.

Practically all of Easy were going along, officers included.

And to keep the journey as smooth as possible, they decided to journey by train. Charlotte had it all planned out, she had written down all the train times and platforms in her notebook. It was the first time she had properly planned something, and she hoped, the plan would stick, and all would go smoothly.

By late afternoon, everyone arrived in Edinburgh.

There, Charlotte led the way towards the Royal Mile, where she had booked rooms inside one of Edinburgh's many hotels. The men were transfixed by Edinburgh, with it's winding closes, cobbled streets and old tenement buildings. And of course, the Edinburgh Castle, which sat atop of a dead volcano. Unfortunately, the weather in the city was miserable, with cold wind and rain.

Charlotte went around the men and collected money for their stay in the hotel.

Once everything was collected and counted for, she walked down a set of stairs and handed the money to reception. The receptionist wasn't happy to be counting all that money, so, Charlotte stayed and helped him.

Which was just as well, because Maggie soon walked over to her.

"Lottie?"

Her heart stopped.

Charlotte turned around;

"hi". She whispered.

Maggie gave her a tiny smile;

"uhm…what are…what are you doing?"

"Eh – counting money". Charlotte replied quietly, "what're you doing?"

"Oh, I'm-"

"darling!"

A male voice called out.

Maggie turned to look at the staircase.

Charlotte followed her stare and saw a young man jog down the stairs.

He was dressed in his good uniform, a smile to match when he saw Maggie.

"Darling, your mother has been looking for you".

Once next to Maggie, he kissed her cheek;

"what the devil are you doing here?"

"Oh". Maggie blinked, "I was – I was getting some air, Callum".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte looked away.

Her eyes looked down at the money on the counter.

"It's almost dinner". Callum reminded her, "we should order soon, darling. I'd like to have some room service tonight".

"Whatever you want, Callum. It's fine with me". Maggie assured him.

Charlotte's eyes hardened, while her face twisted into an angry frown.

There was a pause.

But Charlotte could tell Callum was looking her way;

"I say…you there. You must be one of the Yanks".

"Callum". Maggie whispered, "be nice, okay?"

He tutted, "I'm always nice, darling…come on, don't act that way in public".

Sighing, Charlotte turned around and looked up at him;

"not really". She mumbled, "I'm fighting with my friends – who are American…you prick".

Callum huffed, "excuse me?"

Stepping away from the counter, she approached Callum.

"How about you let Maggie decide where she wants to eat, eh? Cause something tells me, you don't give her much of a say, pal".

Maggie's eyes widened a little.

And when Callum was about to take a step towards Charlotte, Maggie grabbed his arm;

"Callum, stop".

But Callum ripped his arm away from her grasp;

"I will not be spoken to like that by some Private!"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, "you don't order me around, sunny-Jim. I'm not your Private, you're not my damn Lieutenant".

"Where is your Lieutenant?" He demanded, "you deserve some form of punishment! Have they trained a pack of wild dogs?!"

Smirking, she shook her head;

"nah…even worse, pal. They trained a pack of paratroopers".

Not giving Callum a chance to respond, Charlotte said to Maggie;

"see you around then, eh?"

When Charlotte entered her room, she spotted Toye sitting on his bed, with a piece of paper and a book to lean against for writing. Raising an eyebrow, she closed the door.

Toye looked up, "what's up, Lottie?"

She nodded towards his piece of paper;

"you writing a letter?"

"What? No – no! Lottie, I'm writing the speech".

She pulled a confused face, "speech?"

Toye rolled his eyes, "yeah…the best man – or in this case, men – they give a speech after supper and before the party. You've 'gotta do one too…so, I'll write funny shit and you come in with something emotional or whatever".

Charlotte stared at him for a moment.

Until she let out a nervous laugh;

"speech?" She asked.

Toye nodded, pulled a face;

"yeah…what's the – oh, shit".

He suddenly smirked;

"that's 'gonna suck for you, huh? Don't you get stage fright?"

Sighing shakily, she lightly banged her head against the door and muttered;

"fuck".

**…**

Charlotte focused mainly on her friend getting married.

She tried to forget about the dreaded speech.

Toye and Charlotte got Campbell to the Cathedral the next morning and showed everyone to their seats. Weddings, for some, were a very emotional time. A lot of women were dabbing their eyes, especially when Mary walked down the aisle with her father. Even Charlotte found her eyes well up a little, especially when she saw how beautiful Maggie looked in her bridesmaid dress.

The ceremony was wonderful.

Charlotte forgot all about the speech because Campbell and Mary looked happy and in love.

The couple exchanged vows, rings and lastly, a passionate kiss.

Everyone applauded when they were announced husband and wife.

It was a truly magical moment to witness.

After pictures were taken, the wedding party moved back into the hotel for the reception. The staff had decorated a large room for them, with a platform where a band would play. Mary's family were well-off, it seemed, as they managed to pay for the entire hall for the night. Plus, a band and a three-course meal.

But above all else, they had an open bar.

So, naturally, Charlotte and her drinking buddy headed straight for a drink of whiskey and a shot of vodka. Though, Martin did tell her;

"I can't get too drunk, Lottie".

"Shut up". She tutted, "we'll get wastey-pants after the meal".

It was a wedding, after all and Charlotte was sure, everyone got drunk at a wedding.

Sitting at the top table with the bride, groom and Toye, they dug into the their three-course meal, sipped fine wine and talked happily to each other. But of course, the blissful atmosphere was ruined for Charlotte, when Toye tapped his knife against his wine glass and stood up.

Charlotte froze;

_ "the speech". _

Toye, of course, wasn't fazed by the audience.

Whereas Charlotte grew slightly dizzy at the sight of them all.

"When I first met this sorry son of a bitch…". Toye was saying, but Charlotte didn't catch the rest. She could hear laughter; people cheering and Luz whistle. But all the noises were muffled by the sound of her own dread and beating heart.

Charlotte had written out a speech last night with Toye.

And like he had suggested, it was heartfelt and sentimental.

The speech was good, but the hard part was coming up.

She had to read it out.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Charlotte looked up at.

"Lottie?" Toye asked, with a knowing look.

When she didn't move, he sighed;

"it's your turn".

And that's when she realised, just how quiet the room had gotten.

Eyes widening slightly, she gave a tiny nod and rose from her chair.

It scrapped across the wooden floor and an ugly noise echoed throughout the room.

She could feel a bubble of nerves in the pit of stomach.

Suddenly, that three-course meal wasn't such a good idea.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out her sheet of paper.

The paper was rattling, because her hands were shaking.

Clenching her jaw, she tried to still the piece of paper.

And her eyes remained focused on the words, which blurred, when the world suddenly started to spin. Blinking a few times, she leaned towards the piece of paper, eyes squinting to make out the first word and sentence. And she read it, she read that first sentence, inside her head.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she cleared her throat;

"when I –"

Charlotte's voice was quiet, croaky and shaky.

And that bubble of nerves was turning into something more sinister.

Her stomach churned, with a queasy feeling.

Charlotte must have turned three shades paler.

"When I met…".

Voice trailing off, her breathing soon picked up.

And she felt dizzy again, when another spell of nausea hit her hard.

Charlotte groaned quietly, a hand going over to her mouth.

Eyes widening, Martin looked over at Guarnere and Grant;

"is she 'gonna-"

"yup". Guarnere whispered back with a grin, "she's 'gonna fucking puke".

Toye pulled a face and looked down at her;

"Lottie…". He hissed, "say something".

Charlotte's hand moved away from her mouth.

And she tried again;

"when I met…".

But her throat tightened, she felt clammy and warm, but with a cold sweat.

"I'm fine". She whispered, as if trying to assure herself, "I'm fine…".

Charlotte's stomach churned again.

Huffing, she shook her head;

"no…nope…no". She said, while turning and bolting for the door.

Charlotte entered a long hallway and pulled open the first door she found.

With the laughter coming from the hall she had just escaped from, Charlotte vomited into a random place, leaning heavily against the doorframe.

She wasn't alone for long, before a hand was rubbing her back.

"You made a good exit, Lottie".

Charlotte coughed and spat.

Mouth hanging open, she moaned.

"Sorry". She mumbled.

Winters shook his head, with a tiny smile;

"it's alright…but, this isn't the bathroom".

Looking up, she soon realised her error.

The room she had emptied her dinner into, was a Gentlemen's smoking room.

A very civilized and high-class place, where older gentlemen could drink brandy and smoke expensive cigars. But all Charlotte could smell was her own vomit and all she could see, was the shocked and appalled faces of the older men inside.

Charlotte sighed, "just typical to happen to me".

It wasn't funny at the time.

But by the next morning, Charlotte was laughing about the incident with her friends.

And they promised, that Charlotte would never do another speech.

**…**

"Good foxhole, Lottie".

"You reckon, sir?"

"I do – this is liveable".

Leaning against her trench tool, Charlotte gave Lieutenant Compton a smile;

"you've brightened my day, sir".

Compton, or Buck as he went by, grinned back at her;

"glad I could help, Lottie".

Buck arrived in December and was already proving to be a great Platoon leader. He was a soldier's soldier. He drank, gambled and ate with his men. Which a lot of other Officers frowned upon, but it didn't seem to bother Buck, because not only did he lead his men but in return, the men liked Buck a lot.

Friendly, compassionate, funny and brave.

Buck would go above and beyond for his men.

They were lucky to have him.

Even in the horrible winter weather, where field exercises dragged on and men were frozen, hungry and missing home, Buck or Winters would try to life their men's morale. Charlotte felt truly lucky to have such caring officers like Buck, Winters and Welsh.

Lieutenant Meehan from Baker Company took command of Easy.

Meehan was nothing like Sobel, which made him a great combat leader. And since Sobel left, Easy became a normal Company, where weekend passes were revoked when they deserved to be revoked and no longer, were the men put under harsh punishment from small infractions. Which of course, meant more trips into London.

James Campbell got married to Mary.

Guarnere hid many women inside the barrack after a night out.

Martin and Charlotte were still the greatest drinking buddies.

And Moe tried to keep his eyes on his squad.

Charlotte looked up, when their squad leader crouched in front of her foxhole;

"hey, tyke".

"Alright, Moe?"

"Fine". Moe replied kindly, "you doing good?"

"Aye, grand". She answered softly, "where'd Jim get off to?"

"He's coming". He said, "Winters wanted a word with him".

Charlotte smiled, "you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Jim and Mary are 'gonna have a baby".

Moe smiled, "yeah?" He asked, sounding happy. "That's great, huh?"

"Aye – so, if you 'wanna place a bet on whether it'll be a boy or girl, then speak with Malarkey or Muck".

He chuckled, "no…I'll pass on this bet, tyke".

When they weren't busy with training, the men mostly hit up London or Swindon. Guarnere and Grant were London obsessed, the pair of them were constantly travelling there at the weekend. Most of the time, Martin and Charlotte tagged along and drank themselves silly. On one occasion Martin couldn't make the night out, so, Charlotte, Grant and Guarnere decided to head into Swindon for a drink at the local club.

It wasn't the most successful night out they had.

After getting very drunk, Charlotte got into a fight with another man, who had been trying to start a fight with Grant. It was coming to the end of the night and Charlotte getting into this fight, caused a huge delay. Once Guarnere carried Charlotte away, while she continued to slur out insults towards the man, Grant announced;

"we missed the bus".

Guarnere put Charlotte down;

"really?" He asked.

"Yup – really". Grant replied, "looks like we're walking home".

Pulling a grimace, Guarnere looked over at Charlotte, who could barely stand.

"She can't walk, Chuck".

"Take turns in carrying her?"

"Alright, sounds good to me".

They carried their drunken friend for all of fifteen minutes, until Guarnere found them the golden ticket – bicycles. He walked towards the bikes, there were two and he managed to stick Charlotte in the front, while he got in behind her.

"We should reach Aldbourne in an hour". Grant said happily, "this is great, Bill".

Laughing, Guarnere rang the bell;

"let's get the fuck 'outta here, Chuck".

Charlotte smiled sleepily;

"wee!" She yelled, hand going in the air.

Grant chuckled, "hey – hold on to the bars, Lottie".

Leading the way, Guarnere peddled down the street and Grant followed in behind.

However, it wasn't long until a stranger yelled;

"hey! Stop right there!"

Looking over his shoulder, Grant smirked;

"catch us first, Limey's!"

One of them blew a whistle;

"you're breaking a law!"

Guarnere pulled a face;

"are those Bobbies?"

Grant shrugged, "no idea, Bill".

"You are both under arrest!" The man continued to yell, "stop and put your hands in the air!"

"Shit". Grant cursed, "they're cops, Bill".

"Why the hell do they care about these bikes?" Guarnere mumbled.

And it wasn't until Grant looked down, did he realise a vital error;

"these are the cop's bikes".

Guarnere laughed, "seriously?"

"Yup".

He continued to laugh, "we're going to jail, Chuck".

Grant sighed, "I knew this would eventually happen".

They both stopped the bikes and the two policemen eventually caught up with them.

Helping Charlotte off the bike, she leaned into Guarnere's side, eyes almost shut.

The policeman shook his head;

"all three of you are under arrest". He said, "you're all going into the drunk tank, until someone bails you out".

Guarnere put his arms out;

"cuff me, officer". He smirked, "Chuck will call for a bail – won't you, pal?"

"Yup". Grant mumbled, "Who the hell do I call, Bill?"

The officers cuffed Guarnere and Grant first.

"No idea, Chuck". He said, "you're 'gonna have to call either Evans, or someone else".

"Fuck Evans". Grant mumbled.

When Charlotte felt something cold and metal go around her wrist, she opened her eyes;

"Nixon…". She slurred, "call him".

Grant shrugged, "yeah…he's a cool-hand".

The walk up to the police station was short and cold.

The three paratroopers were tossed into one cell. Charlotte slid down on the floor, until she was lying down on her side, where she passed-out shortly after. Taking the only blanket in the cell, Guarnere placed it over her body and took a seat by her head, while Grant sat by her feet. Minus Charlotte's soft and drunken snores, it was quiet inside the cold cell.

"We've got four hours until we can call for bail". Grant mumbled, "how we 'gonna pass the time?"

Reaching into his pocket, Guarnere pulled out his cigarettes;

"we smoke, Chuck".

**…**

It was horrible waking up four hours later.

Charlotte struggled to open her eyes.

With a pounding headache and wanting nothing more, than to go back to sleep, she clumsily got onto her feet and left the cell with the same policeman from last night. Grant and Guarnere thought it best that Charlotte make the call to Nixon, for whatever reason.

Picking up the phone, Charlotte dialled the number with shaky fingers.

She didn't have to wait long, until one of the orderly's picked up;

"Battalion HQ".

"Alright". Charlotte croaked, in a very hoarse and sleepy voice.

She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Eh…it's Private Gallagher, from Easy Company".

"Who are you calling for, Private?" The orderly asked.

"Lieutenant Nixon".

There was a moment of silence.

"Why?" The orderly asked, sounding a little fearful.

Charlotte sighed, "look…I just – just get him, eh?"

"But…but the man's asleep".

"Wake him up then".

"You've never woken him up before, have you?" The orderly said.

Charlotte rubbed her eyes;

"nah – but just tell him it's me, alright?"

"Fine. Please hold".

Charlotte frowned, wondering why the orderly sounded so reluctant to get the Lieutenant. But it wasn't until ten minutes passed and a very groggy and hungover man greeted her;

"what the hell do you want, Lottie?"

"Morning, sir". Charlotte sounded equally as hungover.

It made him huff out a laugh;

"Jesus…what happened to you?"

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"I got arrested, sir".

Nixon went quiet.

"Eh…me, Bill and Chuck are needing to be bailed out, sir".

Charlotte explained;

"so – aye, that's what's happened, sir".

Nixon snorted;

"damn, kid". He said, "and you thought I'd bail you all out?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, we did, sir".

"I'm flattered, really". Nixon said, with a hint of amusement. "Which station?"

"Swindon". She replied.

"Alright, I'll be there in an hour". He told her, "don't do anything stupid, alright?"

Charlotte let out a tiny chuckle, "we'll try not to, sir".

One hour later and Nixon rolled into town in a jeep. He bailed the three hungover paratroopers out and they all got into the jeep. Grant and Guarnere sat in the back, passing out as soon as Nixon started driving away from the police station.

"Your Lieutenant knows". Nixon informed her, "he caught me sneaking out of Aldbourne this morning".

Charlotte groaned, "is he pissed, sir?"

He huffed, "well…I'd hate to be you right now, kid".

"Fuck". She said softly, "is he 'gonna demote Bill and Chuck?"

Nixon shook his head, "nah…but he's got it in for you, kid". He told her, "cause you live with him and all, you know? You're basically his family now, Lottie. You've 'gotta respect that".

Charlotte suddenly felt guilty.

She had no idea Winters saw her as family.

Frowning, Charlotte bowed her head in shame.

She shook her head, "shit…well – I'm fucking this up, eh?"

Looking at her for a moment, Nixon shook his head;

"kid, he'll give you one his speeches. That in order to better yourself, you've 'gotta make stupid mistakes in life".

Charlotte snorted, "I'm hoping for that speech, sir".

She was nervous, fearing for what was to come.

But Charlotte also felt a huge amount of guilt. Because Mr and Mrs Winters would hate to find out, that Charlotte had to spend the night in jail, they'd no doubt be disappointed. Charlotte expected Winters to be furious with her but not much else. And with a heavy hangover, she didn't think her head could handle someone shouting at her.

Waiting for them in the village was Winters.

Guarnere, Grant and Charlotte walked over to him.

They each stood at attention, heads held high.

"You two are Sargent's, you should know better!" Winters scolded, "you're setting a horrible example towards your men. For your punishment, you will clean out your men's barracks and practice your drills to an imaginary Company!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Grant and Guarnere said back.

"Fall-out!"

_"At least they didn't get demoted"._ Charlotte thought hopefully.

But when her friends ran off, she felt that hope vanish.

Charlotte bowed her head, too ashamed to look at the man.

"I'm disappointed in you, Charlotte". Winters said lowly.

Biting down on her lip, her eyes remained glued to her boots.

"When you drink, you drink too much and it's not good for you". He told her, "my dad told me, that if I ever wanted to drink, then I should do it in the house".

Charlotte felt her feet shift from side to side.

Winters sighed, "right…you're on latrine duties for a week".

"Yes, sir". She replied softly.

"Okay, fall-out".

Turning around, Charlotte walked towards the Nissan hut.

He didn't yell at her, which made her feel worse.

Winters wasn't angry, he was disappointed.

And she felt bad, for making him feel that way.

Still hungover and in a terrible mood, Charlotte got to work with cleaning the Company latrines. Some of the stalls were occupied, while other men set up by the sinks to shave. One of them was Martin, who ended up laughing;

"good night?"

Shaking her head, she dipped the mop into the bucket of water;

"was alright". She mumbled.

Frowning, Martin turned back towards his reflection.

"Something happen?"

Shrugging, Charlotte began to mop the floor.

Martin raised an eyebrow, "what is it?"

She felt her stomach churn and her throat tighten;

"Winters is disappointed". Charlotte mumbled thickly.

"Why?"

"Cause…we got arrested, Nixon bailed us out".

Pulling a face, he looked at her threw the mirror;

"what'd you do?"

"We stole the coppers bikes".

Martin snorted, "are you serious? Jesus Christ, Lottie".

Using the mop, Charlotte spread out the soapy and warm water across the cold floor.

Staring down at the wet mess below her, she vowed;

"I'm never drinking again".

Martin's eyes widened;

"what?" He whispered, "don't be rash, Lottie, huh? Cause you love to drink".

"Maybe that's a problem". She mumbled.

"Come on…it ain't a problem, Lottie". Martin told her, "you ain't drinking every day, are you? Exactly. No. You don't got a problem".

He then said;

"look…if you do something stupid, you 'gotta take the punishment, huh? Don't let the damn latrines get you down, Lottie".

Charlotte didn't feel any better after cleaning the latrines and she kept pretty quiet for the rest of the day, hiding away inside the Nissan hut, while the men enjoyed their Sunday off. Charlotte slept a lot that afternoon and planned to stay in bed, until Guarnere barged into the hut.

"Nope – this ain't happening".

"What?" She mumbled into her pillow.

Sighing, he walked over to her bed;

"get the hell up, Lottie". He said, "now – Goddammit".

"You don't get it, Bill". She said, "Winters is pure disappointed with me".

Guarnere pulled a face, "Lottie, he's disappointed in all of us".

"Aye but – he never yelled at me".

He huffed, "you're sad, cause he didn't yell at you?"

She sighed, "you don't get it…I live with him and his parents, Bill".

Guarnere frowned, "wait – seriously?"

Charlotte gave her head a slight nod.

Sighing, he sat on the edge of her bed;

"Jesus". He whispered.

Guarnere then looked at the back of her head, her face was crushed into the pillow still.

"Well…if I piss my parents or brothers off…I usually get 'em smokes".

"He doesn't smoke". Came her muffled reply.

"Alright, so, we'll think of something else, huh?"

"Like what?"

Guarnere shrugged, "you live with the guy – what does he like?"

Charlotte sighed, "wrestling…anything sporty…reading, walking and God".

He smiled a little, "wrestling?"

"Aye – that's was I said".

Guarnere cleared his throat, "well, you can't wrestle the man".

She snorted, "nah…that's fucking insane, Bill".

"What'd you do if you pissed off your dad?"

Charlotte frowned into the pillow;

"dunno". She mumbled, "we'd just talk or something".

"Don't Winters like talking?"

"He doesn't like arguing".

"Yeah but – you don't 'wanna argue with him, do you?" Guarnere reminded her, "so, yeah – just tell him you're sorry that you fucked up".

"Would you?"

He snorted, "Lottie, I ain't a sentimental Sally".

Lifting her head from the pillow, Charlotte looked up at him;

"you are sometimes".

"With you, yeah". Guarnere agreed, staring back at her. "But – you know, you're a girl, Lottie. And I've got sisters, I know how you all work".

She raised an eyebrow, "all of us?"

He snorted, "you're a bit different, I'll give you that…but come on, you've got the balls to say you're sorry to Winters. He's a good guy, Lottie. He'll hear you out".

Guarnere then added;

"you spent a night in the drunk tank – you ain't a criminal".

Charlotte's eyes softened and she smiled a little;

"I get it, Bill…I'm being-"

"a fucking baby".

Guarnere grinned.

She snorted and pushed him;

"you prick – I'm not a baby".

"You are". Getting onto his feet, Guarnere bent down and grabbed her arm. "Get up and go see him".

Letting out a long sigh, Charlotte was soon pulled onto her feet.

Looking up at her friend, she gently nudged his side;

"will you walk me there?"

Guarnere smirked and shook his head;

"you're a fucking baby, Lottie".

But he did walk her to the Barnes's house.

**…**

Winters hadn't been expecting any visitors, let alone Charlotte.

And, not wanting to be rude, he left his house and walked towards her.

Charlotte saluted the officer;

"sir".

He saluted her back, with a suspicious stare;

"Private?"

When the salute ended, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"sir…can we – is it alright if we go for a walk?"

Giving her a nod, Winters gestured for her to lead the way.

And they walked away from the Barnes's house, in silence to begin with. Charlotte felt nervous, guilty and a little awkward. Whereas Winters appeared calm but still suspicious. They stopped walking when they reached a field by the church. Wanting to appear casual, Charlotte climbed up onto the wall and sat herself down, just so she could reach his shoulders at least. Winters leaned against the wall, facing out towards the field. Charlotte swirled around and faced the same direction as him. The field held two Shire horses and cows. It was a nice field, Potter liked to walk there on a Sunday morning.

Rubbing her hands together, she said;

"I'm an idiot". Charlotte stated, "my pals look out for me loads, sir, when I get drunk like that".

Winters turned his head to look at her.

Charlotte was still facing the field.

"And I've not to do that anymore…cause it's not fair on you, when I get into trouble".

He raised his eyebrow.

Charlotte continued;

"like, I might disappoint you again". She told him softly, "but like – well, I'm just an idiot sometimes, sir". Charlotte sighed, "it's mental how guilty I feel, sir…not felt like that since my dad said he was disappointed in me after I stayed out too late".

She cleared her throat and eventually looked at him;

"should have called you, eh, sir?"

Winters nodded, "yeah". He agreed quietly, "I would have bailed you out, Lottie…after making you suffer another three hours inside that cell".

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"don't blame you, sir".

Charlotte then looked serious again;

"I am really sorry, sir". She said, "like…proper sorry – did you tell your mum?"

A smile tugged on the corners of Winters lips;

"maybe I should, huh?"

Her eyes widened, "what if she kicks me out?"

Winters smile vanished;

"Lottie…mistakes happen, so we can grow and learn from them. I've made plenty, everyone has. And you're not an idiot for making them, your smart for recognising where you went wrong".

A smile remained on Charlotte's lips.

She really did love his speeches.

"I pray to God, that we live through this war, Lottie". Winters said, "and if we do, then you have a home with me. This drunken incident won't change that".

Charlotte felt her stomach pool with warmth.

Winters really was a great man.

But then, a knot of guilt formed in her stomach, when she wondered how he'd feel, if he knew she was gay. Guarnere accepted it but would Winters? Charlotte knew that Winters had a lot of respect for women, thanks to the way his mother raised him.

But that might go against everything he believed in.

Something which Charlotte couldn't or wouldn't change.

She wanted to settle down with a woman, because Charlotte was a lesbian.

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"I had this pal back in Scotland, called Irena". She told him quietly, "we met in school and she was my best friend…we did everything together".

Winters smiled, "you never mentioned her, trooper".

Charlotte shrugged, "well…she sort of vanished, sir". She told him, "few days after mum died, Irena and her family left, and no one knew where".

"Irena". He mused, "she's not Scottish?"

She shook her head, "nah, she's Polish, sir. Her family moved to Scotland when I was twelve. So, like, 1936, or something". Charlotte sighed, "anyway…we were proper close, eh? We shared all these experiences and moments together".

Her eyes moved down towards her hands, which were clasped together tightly.

"She was sixteen when she left". Charlotte whispered, "we – eh – we loved each other".

Winters smiled.

"It's good that you had a friend like that, Lottie".

Clearing her throat, she nodded;

"aye…was well nice, sir".

She couldn't tell him.

Charlotte would just have to live with the guilt for the time being.

But at least she cleared the air with Winters.

Which is all she asked for on that Sunday afternoon.


	15. Chapter 14

"Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Causeway number one. Causeway number two. The ultimate field problem. The estuary of the Douve River divides two beachheads, code name Utah and Omaha. Seaborne infantry will hit these beaches in force in a date and time to be specified. H-hour, D-day.

Airborne's objective, is to take the town of Carentan, thus linking Utah and Omaha into a single continuous beachhead. Each trooper will learn this operation by heart and know his and every other outfits mission to the detail".

"Lieutenant Meehan?" Dukeman asked.

"Yes, Dukeman?"

"Sir, are we dropping tonight?"

The men had arrived in the marshalling area of Upottery, where they were locked inside for their first objective and combat jump into war. They had left Aldbourne by the end of May. Men had said farewell to their wives and sweethearts, for what might have been the last time. It was both scary and exciting to be jumping into the war. But for Charlotte, she'd always carry a certain amount of nerves with her, which would sit neatly in the pit of her stomach.

Now, Meehan was giving his men their briefing for this up and coming jump.

Into Normandy.

"When it's time for you to know, we'll let you know". Meehan answered Dukeman, before he continued, "in the meantime, study these sand tables, maps and recon photos, until you can draw a map of the area by memory.

Now, we will be dropping behind this Atlantic Wall five hours before the 4th Infantry lands at Utah. Between our assembly area and the Battalion's objective, there is a German garrison. Right here, in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Easy Company will destroy that garrison".

**…**

The call came for the jump on the fourth of June.

Charlotte got up early that morning with the men and started to pack away all of her gear, all one hundred- and twenty-pounds worth. It was laid out in front of her, like she had just emptied one of her drawers from her dresser.

The waiting was the hardest part during their time inside the marshalling area.

Like the men, Charlotte was eager and anxious to get the jump over with.

"Hey, tyke". Moe greeted her warmly, while crouching next to her, "you got everything?"

Looking at him, Charlotte nodded;

"have you?" She asked.

"Sure do". He said with a smile, "you feeling good?"

"Aye – grand". Charlotte mumbled, looking back down at her things.

Moe clapped her shoulder;

"you're 'gonna do great, tyke. I'm so darn proud of you".

Her lips twitched, "proud of you too, Moe".

Smiling more, Moe squeezed her shoulder;

"thanks, Lottie".

Charlotte then asked him;

"have you seen Bill? I haven't seen him yet".

Moe nodded, "yeah…he's in the Sargent's tent, tyke".

Biting her lip, Charlotte let out a tiny sigh.

He smirked, "you 'wanna go and see him?"

"Aye, I do". Charlotte confirmed quietly, "Johnny was well weird with me this morning".

Moe frowned, "he was?"

"Aye". She mumbled, "wouldn't talk to me or anything".

He sighed, "I'm sure it's nothing you've done, Lottie". Moe assured her, "maybe they had a fight?"

Charlotte frowned and looked at him;

"I should go and see, eh? Wouldn't want them being distracted for the jump".

"Yeah, good idea, tyke – but don't be too long, alright?"

"I won't – I promise".

Charlotte quickly made her way into the Sargent's tent and found that Guarnere was alone. He was packing up a few items into his musette bag – or rather, shoving them into his bag. Biting her lower lip, Charlotte slowly walked towards him and before she could open her mouth, he said;

"Lottie, get lost".

Charlotte stopped walking.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she replied with;

"no".

Letting out an angry sigh, Guarnere sharply got onto his feet.

When he turned around to face her, Charlotte was surprised to see a hard glare in his eyes.

Which burned into her eyes.

"Bill-"

"you didn't fucking tell me?!"

Guarnere snapped.

He yelled.

He yelled, like nothing she had never heard before.

It was frightening and concerning.

Charlotte took a timid step back;

"Bill…I-"

"why didn't you tell me?!" Guarnere demanded, face now inches from hers.

Breathing heavily, Charlotte continued to stare up at him.

She was frightened but found herself more worried, than anything else. And perhaps, a little confused, because she had no idea, what her friend was on about. And Guarnere was waiting for an answer, heavy breathing and all, while his hands formed into two fists.

"Bill". Charlotte whispered, voice breaking.

She placed a nervous hand on his forearm;

"Bill…I don't know…why…why you're yelling at me".

"Don't fucking lie to me!" Guarnere yelled.

Even louder than before.

It caused Charlotte to flinch.

And she took in a sharp breath, while tears filled her eyes.

"Stop". She mumbled tearfully, "I don't know…honestly, I don't, Bill".

Searching her eyes for a few moments, Guarnere took a step back.

"Fuck". He muttered.

Turning his back to her, Charlotte felt her shoulders drop.

But she had to know.

Her eyes were glued to the back of his head, as if she was caught up in a trance.

Eventually, Guarnere sighed and told her;

"Henry's dead…got it in Italy".

And then, he yelled;

"Johnny didn't fucking tell me! Pat wrote him this fucking letter – I found the damn letter – it's just a fucking shitstorm, Lottie".

With that, he heavily sat on the edge of his bed.

His hands went over his face.

And his shoulders started to shake.

Hand going over her mouth, Charlotte felt a few tears roll down her face.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she quickly moved toward him.

Sitting behind Guarnere on his bed, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his back. Charlotte didn't say anything and listened to the tiny heart-breaking sounds of Guarnere trying to suppress his tears and grief for his older brother – Henry, the brother who was obsessed with baseball.

Charlotte had tears running down her face too.

Because she knew what it was like.

She had been through it.

And she hated that her best friend, had to experience the tragedy of losing an older brother. Her arms tightened around him and she sniffed, while her tears soaked into his jacket. Charlotte held him tightly, hoping it would keep him together for as long as he needed.

For ten minutes, she held onto her best friend.

Until his shoulders stopped shaking and his breathing went back to normal.

Slowly, keeping one arm around his waist, Charlotte sat next to him.

Staring up at Guarnere, she then reached into her pocket with her free hand and placed a packet of cigarettes onto his lap. After rubbing away his tears, Guarnere uncovered his face and looked down. He choked out a tiny laugh;

"thanks".

"I love you". She told him.

Sighing shakily, Guarnere wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of Charlotte's head.

"Love you, Lottie".

Charlotte then looked up at him;

"let's go to war, eh?"

**…**

After applying some war paint, Charlotte was ready to board the plane.

Sitting under the wing with the men from her stick. they waited for night to arrive. Charlotte smoked, talked quietly with Potter, Jackson and Campbell. Some men prayed under their breath, some read the last letter they received from home. And she noticed Guarnere, who sat very quietly, eyes glaring towards the ground.

Charlotte frowned a little.

She hoped he would be okay.

"Easy Company!" Meehan suddenly called, "listen up! Gather around me!"

Getting onto their feet, with heavy gear, the men wondered towards their Commanding Officer, who was standing on top of a truck.

"The Channel coats is socked with rain and fog. High winds on the drop zone. No jump tonight".

A collection of groans ran throughout the Company.

"The invasion has been postponed. We're on a twenty-four-hour stand-down".

Sighing, Charlotte looked up at Guarnere who muttered;

"son of a bitch…".

"What now, Bill?"

He looked at her;

"let's get this shit off our backs". He grumbled, "ain't much we can do, Lottie".

They were showing Mr Lucky in one of the wall tents. The higher-ups figured a movie would pass the time and settle them down. But it couldn't have, the men had been hyped-up for the jump all day, they had mentally prepared themselves – only to have it cancelled for another night.

And Charlotte couldn't sit down and watch a film for over an hour, in fact, she couldn't sit still at all. So, she left the wall tent and walked down the strip between the tents. Looking up towards the sky, she could see the heavy clouds and fog and wondered when it would eventually clear up.

Despite the bad weather happening now, it did feel like a deep breath before the storm.

Charlotte wondered when they'd jump into that storm.

And who they'd lose along the way.

"Lottie".

Turning around, Charlotte spotted Winters.

Giving him a small smile, she greeted him back;

"alright, sir?"

Winters sighed, "I'm guessing you're not a fan of the movie?"

She shook her head, "not really".

"I thought all girls liked Cary Grant".

Huffing out a laugh, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…he's not my – just don't fancy him, sir".

Winters looked up towards the sky.

He let out another sigh, "what do you think, Lottie? How's that weather looking?"

Charlotte looked back up;

"hard to tell, sir". She said, "loads of clouds in the way".

Winters chuckled and looked back down at her;

"you're funny, Lottie…I'm glad you're in my stick".

She looked up at him and smiled;

"same, sir".

"Are you 'gonna sit next to me?"

"And be second to jump?"

Winters shrugged, "better than last".

Charlotte nodded, "aye, alright, sir – you know, if that makes you feel safer".

A tiny smile reached his lips;

"I'd like to keep an eye on you, Lottie…".

Clearing her throat, she rubbed the back of her neck;

"'bout that, sir". She mumbled, "see how…see how we live together and all?"

"Yeah?"

"I just – Lieutenant Nixon said something, that I think about sometimes…".

Winters raised an eyebrow, "oh? What did he say?"

Charlotte shrugged, "that…that you think of me as family".

His face softened;

"well…I guess I do, Lottie. You do live with me, after all".

"That's how I felt pure bad when I got arrested". She mumbled, "cause aye, I'd hate to let family down and all, eh? Like, you – Bill and my squad". Charlotte then added, "but I don't 'wanna be letting your parents down either, sir…I really do like them loads".

Winters smiled;

"they know that, Lottie". He said, "and they like you a lot too".

Winters then added;

"Lottie, I'm not one to hold a grudge. It was a mistake, a tiny mistake. You've just 'gotta be careful and try not to drink as much".

Charlotte continued to look at him;

"what's a…what's a big mistake to you, sir?"

Winters hummed in thought, "tricky…probably if you did something reckless but then again, you are a paratrooper".

She snorted softly, "aye…".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte asked him;

"sir?"

"Yeah?"

"What sort of people belong in hell?"

Pulling a frown, Winters was slightly surprised by the question.

"What do you mean, trooper?" He asked her quietly.

Charlotte shrugged, "like…like how bad is someone, that they end up in hell?"

Winters shook his head, "I'm not sure, Lottie. I've never met anyone evil. People who have no remorse, love or kindness, maybe. They're the ones who can do evil, without feeling bad about it".

She cleared her throat, "aye but…what's evil?"

His frown deepened, "why do you ask?"

"Just wondered".

Winters sighed, "well, let's see…evil can mean a lot to different people. But, as a group, if we all see evil, then they're truly evil – does that make sense?"

Feeling her chest tighten, Charlotte nodded.

"Yeah". She whispered, "like…if the whole world thought something was wrong".

"A lot of things are wrong, Lottie". Winters said, "but not all of them are evil".

"What do you think's wrong?"

"That's a deep question, Lottie". He pointed out, with a hint of a smile.

Charlotte shook her head, "sorry, sir".

Still staring at her, Winters placed a hand on his shoulder.

The pair of them began to walk down the strip.

"I could tell you what's good?"

Shrugging one shoulder, Charlotte agreed;

"alright, sir…what's good?"

"Well, for one, faith". He said, "and love…family, kindness, understanding…friendship. Good relationships in this world, are good, Lottie".

Charlotte smiled a little.

"God tells us to treat others, how we'd like to be treated". Winters said, "if you do that, you'll find yourself surrounded by good people. And it's always good to be forgiving. Especially to family and friends".

"You should have been a preacher, sir". She told him.

Winters chuckled, "I thought about that once…just for a brief moment".

Looking down at her, he asked;

"what about you, Lottie?"

Sighing, Charlotte said;

"well, folk think love is natural and that but…it makes you feel weird, eh? Like, it makes you feel sick and stuff but pure happy at the same time. Love is love, they should leave it at that, eh? As long as you're not hurting that person or yourself, I don't see the fuss over it".

Frowning a little, Winters said;

"why would they make a fuss over it, Lottie?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"just some folk do, sir". She said quietly, "like…it's just love, eh? It should be celebrated, not damaged".

She sighed;

"the way I see it…everyone's crazy for falling in love".

He looked highly suspicious.

And ended up halting them both.

Winters looked down at her again;

"what are you telling me, Lottie?"

Looking back up at him, Charlotte shook her head.

"Nothing, sir". She whispered, "just the way I feel 'bout stuff, eh?"

"Are you telling me you're in love with a man from this Company?"

Eyes widening, she shook her head;

"Christ, that's rank – no, sir". Charlotte stressed, "nah…they're my brothers. Jesus…".

Finding her reaction amusing, Winters chuckled;

"alright, sorry, Lottie".

She shuddered;

"nah, sir…you don't need to be worrying about that".

**…**

_ "Tonight, is the night of nights". _

** …**

When the skies clear on June the fifth, the jump was back on.

But it felt different this time, it felt final.

They had spent all day getting ready. They had packed their whole soldier life into bags, pockets and strapped their life onto their chest, legs and sides. On top of that, they had their chute, reserve cute and a Mae West vest. Topped off with their helmet.

The men sat under their sticks, waiting for the sun to disappear.

Charlotte felt that knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach worsen.

But then, Toye placed his hand on her shoulder;

"it'll be alright". He told her.

Looking up at him, a tight smile reached her lips.

She hoped it would be okay.

** …**

_ "Tomorrow, throughout the whole of our homeland and the Allied world, the bells will ring out the tidings…". _

** …**

"Doc Roe is handing these out for airsickness". Meehan informed their stick, "orders are, everyone take one now, another thirty minutes in the air".

Charlotte stared down at the white pill and took it, knowing she'd probably end up feeling sick during the flight anyway. However, she did catch Guarnere toss his away. But the majority of the men took their sickness tablets, Winters included.

Winters and Meehan shook hands and nodded a "good luck", but no words were exchanged.

When their Company Commander left for his stick, Winters stood before them.

"Good luck". He told them, "God bless you…I'll see you down there".

And, with that, he helped each and every man up onto their feet.

Grabbing onto Charlotte's hand, she gave him a tiny smile and shook his hand;

"see you in there, sir".

She told him, before someone pushed her up onto the plane.

** …**

_ "…that you have arrived and the invasion for liberation has begun"._

**…**

Charlotte was second to jump and third to jump, was Toye.

Looking up at him, she asked;

"do you think Moe will be alright, Joe?"

Toye looked down at her;

"of course, Lottie". He assured her, "he's with Meehan, ain't he?"

Charlotte sighed, "I know…just wish he was with us".

"Rob's with Moe too…they'll be fine".

For Charlotte, she was gutted that they were missing their squad leader and Bloser. But at least she had the rest from her squad inside the stick and the mortar squad, followed by a few others from their Platoon, Grant included. Winters went around everyone and made sure they had everything they needed and were as comfortable as they could be.

Charlotte rubbed her eyes;

"Jesus, 'am fucking tired".

Toye yawned, "me too…".

Winters was soon sitting down next to her.

And that's when the engines roared to life.

It was time to enter the war.

**…**

_ "May God be with each of you fine soldiers". _


	16. Chapter 15

The sleeping pills put Charlotte to sleep for ten solid minutes and she woke up, resting against Toye's side. It was strange waking up, she felt drunk, lightheaded and very confused of her whereabouts. But, once the roar coming from the plane engines reached her ears, Charlotte soon remembered where she was, where they were going and what they were jumping into.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked up at Toye and saw him to be in a peaceful slumber, as were many of the other men inside her stick. The sleeping pills must have made them woozy, it certainly relaxed them enough to fall asleep. Charlotte let out a tiny yawn, she could have fallen back asleep again but was afraid that she wouldn't be ready for the jump. So, giving herself a mental slap, Charlotte sat up straight and tried to wake herself up.

Her eyes moved towards Guarnere, who was praying quietly to himself.

Blinking, Charlotte looked away from him.

It was dark inside the plane, but she could still make out her friends faces. Leaning forwards, she could see Malarkey trying to look out of the window behind him, while Grant slept soundly next to Toye. Leaning back again, she looked up and caught Winters staring at her. Giving him a tiny smile, he leaned down, so he could yell in her hear;

"alright there, trooper?!"

Winters pulled back so she could nod and give him the thumbs up.

He then gestured towards the opening.

Someone came over to open the large door, which would allow the men to smoke. And Winters had been looking out of the opening, staring at the world below him. But he wanted Charlotte to witness the view below them now. It took some effort, but she managed to drag herself towards the opening to look down.

Her eyes widened.

"Holy shit". Charlotte whispered.

Thousands of ships were crossing the English Channel, Charlotte had never seen anything so enormous in her life, it was truly shocking. It hit her hard, just how huge this invasion was. The nerves in the pit of her stomach escalated, so much, that she ended up vomiting out of the plane.

Chucking, Winters gave her back a rub.

Huffing, she spat the foul taste out of her mouth and shuddered;

"fuck sake". Charlotte muttered, "why's it always me?"

After admiring the view for a further few minutes, Charlotte made it back to her space and took a drink of water from her canteen, to wash the taste out of her mouth. Putting her canteen back, she then gave Winters jacket a tug, he leaned down towards her;

"I had the weirdest dream!" She said into his ear, "that I was picking out raisins from coffee grounds!"

Winters pulled a face and said into her ear;

"those pills are strange, huh?!" He said, "I've been trying to keep myself awake!"

"I don't even remember falling asleep!" She told him, "but I opened my eyes and felt pure drunk, sir!"

He snorted, "do you feel okay now?!"

"Aye, grand, sir!" Charlotte replied, "I'm just about pissing myself now though!"

Smiling small, Winters placed a hand on her shoulder;

"just remember you're training! It'll kick in and we'll get the job done!"

Charlotte couldn't actually believe what she was about to do, it felt very surreal. Training would just have to kick in and take over because Charlotte couldn't find the confidence to face what was to come from inside the plane. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she tried to take in calming breaths or, say stupid things;

"not felt this nervous since I was in jail!"

Which made Winters smile.

She then added;

"knowing I had to face you, was the scariest thing ever, sir!"

Across from her, sat Potter.

He leaned forwards and Charlotte met him in the middle.

There, he said into her ear;

"folks at home sure won't believe this, Lottie!"

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she smiled;

"I'm glad you're with me, George!" She said.

"Me too, Lottie!"

And despite the nerves and the fear, Charlotte wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world at that moment. Like her friends, she had worked hard and had every right to be on that plane. Surviving the jump, was the first mission ahead. She only had to focus on jumping out of the plane, reaching the drop zone and from there, they'd complete Battalion's objective.

It all sounded very simple.

When they reached one thousand and five hundred feet, Winters turned to Charlotte;

"we've 'gotta get ready to jump any time now. So, let's get up and hook up".

Nodding, Charlotte fastened the strap around her helmet.

Soon, all the men were up onto their feet.

Though, a few stumbled back, as their heavy equipment sent them falling back down.

From there, they hooked-up and made sure everyone was okay and ready to jump.

Winters was looking out of the opening, while Toye tapped Charlotte on the shoulder and said into her ear;

"we almost there?!"

She shook her head, "few miles away!"

A few moments later and Winters told Charlotte;

"we've run into some fog! We've lost sight of the other planes!"

"Holy shit!" Toye exclaimed, "we can't locate them at all?!"

"I can't see anything, Joe!"

Charlotte shook her head, "what the hell are we 'gonna do now?!"

"Don't panic!" Winters told them, "we'll meet everyone at the drop zone!"

Soon, they all felt the plane dip further down, dropping to around seven hundred feet.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, gripping onto her clip tightly;

"that was us dropping, eh?!"

Winters nodded, "yeah! They'll be trying to locate landmarks!"

And throughout all of this, Charlotte had completely forgotten about the enemy, who were probably preparing to attack them at any moment. When that thought struck her, she seemed to hold her breath, while the plane dropped again.

A few tense moments went by.

And nothing happened.

The plane rattled, from a short gust of wind.

"I can't understand this!" Winters said to Charlotte, "no ack-ack!"

Charlotte shook her head;

"no offense, sir but…'am not complaining about that!"

And he smiled;

"I see your point!"

Charlotte looked out of the opening and all of a sudden, as if the German's had heard Winters comment, they unleashed their guns into the air. The entire sky lit up in orange and red, like the tops of candles. Charlotte's eyes widened, she looked up at Winters. Red, blue and green lights from the tracers joined into the nights sky. And each shell missed their plane, or the plane next to them.

That was until, the Germans adjusted their firing positions.

One shell smacked right into the plane near them.

There came a loud noise from the explosion and Charlotte watched, with terrified eyes, while the plane erupted into flames and crashed into the ground below them.

At that point, the red light was turned on.

They had to wait ten minutes until it switched to green.

Ten agonising minutes.

Charlotte was clenching her jaw, to stop herself from screaming.

Out in the sky, it was a horrifying fireworks display.

But the shells were hitting the planes, bullets shooting falling troopers.

Charlotte didn't think she'd make the jump.

In fact, she didn't think she'd make it out of the plane.

Letting out a shaky sigh, she shook her head;

"you idiot, Charlotte Gallagher" She mumbled.

She wasn't a hero, she wasn't brave.

_ "What was I thinking?!"_ She mentally screamed.

Charlotte could feel her knees bashing together and her body shake with fear.

Closing her eyes, she tried to take in a calming breath.

And while doing that, a shell exploded from beneath their plane, sending shrapnel flying up towards the belly of the plane. It rattled and swerved to the side. Charlotte screamed, when she fell to the left. If it hadn't been for Toye, who grabbed onto her harness, she would have fallen down.

"Okay?!" He yelled into her ear.

"Jesus – no!" She yelled back, "this is insane!"

Looking back up, the green light turned on.

Winters looked at his men;

"let's go!" He yelled.

And Charlotte watched, while he jumped out of the plane and into hell.

Of course, she followed right behind him and didn't even give it a second thought.

Training took over, as if she was doing another practice jump.

However, once her canopy opened and she grabbed onto the risers, Charlotte had a hard time concentrating, from all the noise going on around her. Men were falling all around her, some were getting shot at, she saw two on fire and a few fell out of the plane without an open canopy.

Charlotte tried to focus on the ground below her, which was reaching her fast.

It didn't take her very long.

They must have jumped from around five hundred feet.

Unfortunately, Charlotte hit hard and crashed into the ground.

It was an awful landing, her worst ever one. It felt as though she broke every bone in her body. Fortunately, she didn't but she did bang her elbow and knee pretty good.

Charlotte had no idea where she landed.

And she could have lay there on the grass for a few minutes because she felt so dizzy and sick. If it was anything else, Charlotte would have given herself a few minutes to calm down, but her adrenaline was pumping, and she needed to get ready to move.

Sitting up, she took off her chute, vest and put her helmet back on.

After getting her rifle ready and taking the safety off, Charlotte stayed seated.

_"What now?"_ She wondered to herself, _"where the hell is everyone?"_

Charlotte had landed on a patch of grass, near a cluster of woods.

It wasn't their drop zone, obviously.

Meaning, her entire stick was scattered across the surrounding area. Charlotte figured it wouldn't be too hard to locate a familiar face. So, staying low, Charlotte made her way into the cluster of trees and tried to work out what to do next. Walking further into the cluster of trees, a sharp burst of fire had her hitting the ground quickly.

Slowly, she looked up and saw the enemy for the first time.

Four Germans were manning a 20mm battery in the direction of a road, which sat outside of the trees. A road would have been Charlotte's best bet on finding out where the hell she was because a road might have led to a sign.

When the gun stopped blasting out, Charlotte got up and took off in the opposite direction, leading her further into the woods. She did a short sprint and ended up stopping short, when a person in front brought out his gun and fired. Luckily, Charlotte saw him pull out his gun and quickly dove for cover.

He shot at her again.

"Jesus!" Charlotte exclaimed.

The firing stopped.

"Lottie? Is that you?"

Poking out from behind the bush, Charlotte saw Winters, who was carefully walking over to her. Getting onto her feet, she heard another guy say;

"shit – I'm sorry…I didn't mean to shoot at you. Did I get you?"

Still a little stunned, Charlotte shook her head;

"nope". She said, letting out a breathless and nervous laugh, "missed me".

The guy let out a sigh of relief;

"thank God…".

Crouching slightly, Winters checked to see if Charlotte had everything on her.

Which she did.

He looked at her;

"that's right…you didn't take the leg bag".

Charlotte shook her head, "nah…it was too heavy for my short leg".

Snorting, he straightened himself back up;

"you got lucky…I lost my weapons. I've only got my jump knife".

"That's rotten luck, sir".

"It is". Winters agreed, "alright, let's keep moving". He said, "we've 'gotta keep an eye out for any signs, or landmarks we're familiar with".

Charlotte sighed, "well…'am familiar with trees, sir".

Winters huffed out a laugh, "don't be smart, Lottie".

The other guy, who had tried to shoot her stuck out his hand;

"John Hall – Able Company".

Frowning, Charlotte shook his hand;

"Lottie Gallagher – Easy…you're from Able? The hell are you doing here?"

Hall shrugged, "no idea…I jumped, lost my radio and then your Lieutenant found me".

"You've had a weird journey, eh?"

That seemed to settle his nerves and Hall even smiled;

"yeah, it's been weird alright".

The handshake ended and Charlotte took in the small forest they were walking through. She didn't recognise this place at all;

"we're still in Normandy, eh?"

"We are". Winters confirmed, with a tiny smirk. "Where else would we be, trooper?"

Charlotte sighed, "'dunno, sir…are we pure lost?"

He shook his head, "no, I have some understanding of where we might be".

Winters then added;

"which is why we need to find a sign".

Nodding, Charlotte continued to look around her;

"aye…a wee sign that says the name of a town, eh? That would be helpful".

She snorted;

"reminds me when my dad got us lost up North. We were looking for a sign for hours, eh? Mum was yelling, the twins were laughing, and I was crying".

Hall raised an eyebrow, "sounds fun". He remarked sarcastically.

"It was shit, Hall". She mumbled, "I used to hate being outside".

"Then why did you join the paratroopers?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte replied quietly;

"I have no fucking idea".

**…**

Charlotte for the tenth time, suggested to Winters;

"I honestly don't mind, eh? I've got my weapon".

"Lottie, Hall's up front".

Rubbing her lips, she nodded;

"aye but…I don't know him, sir. What if we fall down a slope or something?"

Shaking his head, Winters sighed;

"I never thought I'd see the day, where you'd be complaining, Lottie".

Grimacing slightly, Charlotte mumbled;

"aye, sorry, sir".

"Besides, I know him". Winters said, "I coached him, along with the other men on the 506th basketball team".

"Aye? Good for him, sir".

Winters pulled a slightly amused face;

"are you pissed, because I didn't put you up front, Private?"

Charlotte shook her head.

"Nah, sir". She replied, "nah…Hall's great – seems like a good guy-"

"he is".

"Funny, eh? How he just fell from the sky and landed in your life, eh? Weird how that happens sometimes".

And Charlotte did sound a little weird about it.

For whatever reason.

Maybe she just felt strange about having someone she didn't know, lead the way.

Charlotte wasn't sure, but she put it to the back of her mind.

Winters cleared his throat;

"yeah…it's hilarious". He didn't sound amused, however.

Charlotte smiled a little;

"I'll shut up 'bout it, sir".

"Good idea".

And it was a good thing too, because her ears picked up the sound of running water.

"Here – Hall's walking right by a stream". She commented.

Winters and Hall both stopped.

She nodded to her right;

"it's coming from that way, Hall".

Hall pulled a face, "I don't hear it-"

"no? Well, maybe your ears haven't popped from the journey, Hall. Cause I can hear a stream. Like the ringing of a bloody bell-"

"be quiet". Winters murmured, listening to the sound.

Charlotte looked over at Hall and grinned.

After a moment of silence, the Lieutenant nodded;

"Hall, up front, go right".

The grin was washed off her face, while Hall sent her a smug smile before taking the lead. Charlotte's eyes narrowed and she soon followed in behind the two of them.

Walking into a marshy area, they followed the stream and crouched behind a bush.

That was until, they heard the bushes across the shallow stream rustle.

Taking cover, Winters brought out his clicker;

_ "click-click". _

Soon, there came a response.

_ "Click-click-click". _

"Flash". Winters whispered loudly.

Charlotte could hear boots crossing the stream.

"Lieutenant? Is that you?"

It turned out to be Lipton and two other men, they hadn't met before.

Coming out from their cover, they created a small huddle.

Charlotte gave the Sargent a tiny smile;

"alright, Lip?"

"How's it going, Lottie?" Lipton asked her.

She sighed, "aye, it's 'no bad, eh? Just trying to stay positive".

"You got a weapon?" Winters asked him.

"No, sir". Lipton replied, "I hit the prop blast. No more leg bag. All I got is this knife and some TNT".

Winters let out a tiny sigh.

Lipton nodded towards the two young men Charlotte didn't recognise;

"these 82nd boys have got their M1's though".

"Man, 82nd?!" Hall whispered hotly, "where the hell are we?"

Charlotte looked at him;

"don't panic". She said, "we'll meet everyone somewhere".

Hall pulled a face, "how the hell is that supposed to help? We don't know where we are?"

"Aye, well – you managed to fly and land near Lieutenant Winters, didn't you? So, best stop being such a negative Nelly and start-"

"sir, I saw a sign back that way". Lipton told Winters, cutting Charlotte off, "it said Sainte-Mere-Eglise".

Winters nodded, "flashlight? Raincoat?"

While they fished around for those items, Winters unzipped his trousers and brought out a tiny compass, which had been carefully hidden in there – somewhere. Still, Charlotte held a tiny frown and looked down towards her boots.

Covering himself up, Winters unfolded the map, placed the compass down and turned on the flashlight.

"What's your problem?" Hall whispered to Charlotte.

"What'd you mean?" She whispered back.

He shrugged, "you don't trust me or something?"

"I don't know you".

Hall sent her a hard stare, "look, I trained in Toccoa with you guys, alright? I know what I'm doing, I-"

Winters soon turned off the flashlight and pulled the raincoat from over his head.

"We're about seven kilometres away from our objective". He informed them, "and we're only four hours away from when we need to have it secured. So, we got a lot of walking ahead of us". He looked to the men from the 82nd, "you men stick with us until we find your unit".

Hall led the way, once again.

Charlotte was behind Winters and almost by Lipton's side.

The Sargent curiously asked her;

"who's the new guy?"

Charlotte looked up at Lipton;

"Hall? He's from Able Company".

"You know him?"

She shook her head, "nah, how?"

Lipton shrugged, "why're you being pissy with him?"

"Am I?"

"A little…you doing okay? You ain't usually like this".

Charlotte looked away from him and faced the front;

"well, it's a bit weird, eh? Jumping into this place and all".

Lipton smiled a little, "feeling a little on edge, buddy?"

She shrugged;

"aye, maybe". She mumbled softly, "just hope everyone's alright, eh?"

"Yeah…me too, Lottie".

After five or so minutes of walking, they stopped again so Winters could grab some bearings.

And once he called for everyone to move out, he placed Charlotte up front.

Hall sent her a little glare, which she smirked at.

But there were no hard feelings between them.

With Charlotte up front, she led the pack towards a road.

They had passed the sign, shortly after and were headed in the right direction.

So far, they hadn't come into contact with any of the enemy.

But they did walk by a lot of dead troopers.

The men were hanging from trees, with bullet holes.

Or they were lying on the ground, tangled in their cutes.

It was a lot to take it, especially when Charlotte first came across a body hanging from a tree for the first time. She stopped walking so suddenly, that Hall crashed into her back.

"Jesus". He whispered, "why'd you stop? You didn't give us the signal".

Charlotte stared up at the body, feeling her insides tighten and squirm.

Her face turned three shades paler and she felt sick.

But it was the shock which got her the most.

Charlotte had never seen anything like it before and it hit her hard.

Hall followed her stare and frowned;

"come on…you 'gotta keep going. You 'gotta-"

"why did we stop?"

Winters was soon standing behind them.

He looked down at Charlotte;

"Lottie? Why have you stopped?"

Blinking a few times, Charlotte shook her head;

"eh – right, sorry". She croaked.

Looking away from the hanging trooper, she took a wobbly step forward.

Charlotte felt herself shudder and her stomach and throat tighten.

Taking another step forward, Hall soon gave her a tiny smile;

"I'll take the lead, Lottie".

She decided not to argue;

"aye…go for it". Charlotte whispered.

Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze;

"we should be there soon".

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, sir" She mumbled.

It took her a few minutes to stop thinking and start focusing once more.

Charlotte eyes locked onto the back of Hall's head.

Quickening her pace, she eventually caught up with him.

Hall looked at her;

"are you better?"

"I'm grand". Charlotte said.

"You don't have to be up here". He told her.

She shrugged, "nah…you might miss another stream, eh?"

Hall smirked, "are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like an asshole?"

Charlotte looked up at him, "nah…think combat makes me angry".

"I feel sorry for your Company".

She grinned and faced the front again.

"Aye, me too".


	17. Chapter 16

Charlotte ended up close to Lipton, while Hall took the front.

The two men from the 82nd had managed to find their Unit, leaving just Winters, Lipton, Charlotte and Hall for the time being. With a small party of four, Charlotte was on edge but felt comfort knowing that they had Winters and Lipton with them.

Walking quickly through Normandy was difficult.

The ground was uneven, with swampy and flooded areas.

Charlotte ended up at the back a few times, lagging behind from the men in front of her. They were all exhausted, but adrenaline kept them pushing on. Winters continued to lead them through a forest. He knew there was a railroad up ahead and it was easy enough to follow from there but getting to the track, was hard.

Looking over his shoulder, Winters noted that Charlotte was lagging behind again.

Sighing, he told Lipton to;

"catch up with Hall, take a knee". He said, "I'll see what's keeping Lottie".

Winters made the walk towards Charlotte, who pulled her boot out of the mud.

Hopping around on one foot, she made a panicked noise, while her body began to fall.

Quickly, Winters caught her under the arms.

Charlotte huffed into his arms;

"cheers, sir". She mumbled into his stomach.

Winters felt his lips form a tiny smile;

"alright there, Lottie?"

Giving a tiny nod, she asked;

"can I lean on you?"

"Sure, go ahead".

Leaning against the Lieutenant, Charlotte managed to put her socked foot back inside her boot, without getting her foot covered in mud. Once her foot was securely placed inside her boot, she looked up at Winters and gave a tiny smile;

"all good, sir".

Winters smiled back, "good…the mud slowing you down?"

"Yeah, sir".

The pair of them began walking again.

But he did notice her pace, which was a lot slower than usual.

Winters raised an eyebrow;

"Lottie, we've 'gotta keep going. We're running out of time".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte nodded.

"Aye…I know, sir".

"Then what's the problem?" He asked, with a tiny frown.

Looking up at him, she said;

"I'm just waiting for my second wind, sir".

Winters expression softened, "yeah…we're all a little exhausted, Lottie".

Shaking her head, Charlotte looked back down at the ground.

"I'm an arse for bringing that up". She mumbled, "sorry, sir…I shouldn't be complaining".

"No – no, you weren't really complaining". Winters said, "now, it would be different if you sat down and refused to move…then we'd have a problem, trooper".

A smile reached her lips;

"I wouldn't do that". Charlotte said, "you'd proper yell and drag me".

"I'm pretty sure other methods work best on you, Lottie". Winters said, "some guys need to be yelled at, but you just need a few words of encouragement and you're off".

She shrugged, "that's true".

"The moment that doesn't work on you, that's when I'll worry".

Charlotte nodded, "I don't think it'll ever not work, sir".

Winters smiled, "good".

Catching up with Lipton and Hall, they proceeded towards the railway track.

However, just a few feet away, Hall held up his hand and ducked behind some bushes.

Charlotte and Lipton quickly got down, while Winters made his way up towards the bush. There was a moment of nothing but tense silence until Winters whispered loudly;

"flash!"

Which shortly followed with;

"thunder!" By American voices.

Feeling her heart leap, Charlotte got onto her feet and left the bush.

Stepping onto the railway track, she searched the area and saw four familiar faces.

Popeye, Malarkey, Toye and Guarnere.

A grin soon appeared on her face, while she made her way towards Guarnere.

Charlotte clapped his arm;

"where the fuck have you been, Bill?"

Guarnere gave a tight smile back at her;

"Waiting for you…as usual".

"Hey, Lottie". Toye greeted, giving her side a gentle nudge, "you doing good?"

"Yeah, I'm –" But she stopped talking, when she saw the state of Toye's hand, "Jesus, Joe. What the hell happened?"

"It's fine". Toye brushed her concerns off, "just a little scratch-"

"aye, and we're only facing a wee bit of the enemy". She remarked, "Joe, that's a deep fucking cut. You should put another bandage on it or something".

He rolled his eyes, "quit fussing, huh? You're like my damn mother".

Charlotte huffed out a little laugh;

"no thanks". She mumbled, "I'm no one's mum".

Malarkey came over and shook her hand next.

While Winters came over to Guarnere;

"you and Hall up front".

When the handshake ended, Charlotte looked up at Guarnere and saw his face twist into confusion.

"Who the hell is Hall?" He demanded quietly.

Smiling, she clapped his arm;

"Able Company, 506th basketball team – radioman".

Guarnere shook his head, "don't ring a bell".

When her friend left for the front, Charlotte stayed in the middle behind Popeye.

Toye was behind her.

But the men were quiet, while they walked along the track, not daring to speak, in case they startled the enemy. With so little men, they ran the risk of being ambushed by a bigger force. Which was one of the other reasons why Winters had to keep them all moving.

And, soon enough, Hall held up his hand and they all got down.

But before too long, they could all hear the sound of horses clopping down the road and large wheels from a cart following after. Winters divided the men up into two squads, placing them both on either side of the road for an ambush attack. Charlotte was with Guarnere, Toye at her right. Hall, Malarkey, Popeye and Lipton were on the other side of the road.

They were positioned near a bridge and soon, they could see the supply wagon, with around two squads of German soldiers, either on the cart and walking next to it. Raising her rifle, Charlotte waited for Winters signal. The horses dragged the cart from under the bridge when Guarnere suddenly opened fire. And he stood up while doing it as well, his Tommy-gun blazing to life.

Quickly getting over her shock, Charlotte looked threw her sight and fired.

It was a violent blaze of gunfire, with one grenade tossed into the bridge.

Charlotte shot what she could see, her bullets thudding into flesh.

Her mind concentrated fully on her rifle and the targets before her, not much else. Though, she did listen in, in case Winters gave out further orders or directed their fire. One of the carts did manage to get away but before them, lying out from under the bridge, were several dead Germans, one dead horse and a wounded horse.

The horse was neighing in distress and Guarnere's Tommy-gun was still blazing.

The wild man was standing in front of the bridge, shooting at the dead before him.

Charlotte, now standing on the road, looked at her friend.

She was worried and the noise around them was chaotic and distressing.

Winters grabbed Guarnere's shoulder;

"that's enough, Guarnere!" He ordered.

The firing stopped.

And the air stilled.

While smoke from his gun filtered in the air.

Charlotte's eyes moved from her friends and back towards the distressed horse.

"Everyone okay?" The Lieutenant asked.

"Yes, sir". They replied.

"Next time I say wait for my command you wait for my command, Sargent". Winters told him. His voice, like most times, wasn't raised but firm enough to get the point across.

Though, Guarnere didn't answer right away.

He held the Lieutenant's stare.

And said, in a strong voice;

"yes, sir".

Charlotte's eyes moved back towards them; she could feel the tension from where she was standing. Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte took a step forward but ended up jumping five feet into the air when Toye fired and the horse stopped neighing.

Looking up at her friend, she frowned because Toye didn't look very happy about it either.

Charlotte walked over to Guarnere, just as Lipton handed Winters a weapon.

When the Lieutenant walked off, Guarnere muttered;

"fine, Quaker".

Charlotte raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

He was mad at the whole world because he had lost his big brother.

But not everyone knew that.

"What's that guys problem?" Hall asked Malarkey.

"Gonorrhoea". He responded.

"Really?"

"No…his name, dummy. Guarnere, Gonorrhoea, get it?" Malarkey stressed.

The worst part was, Guarnere and Charlotte could hear him.

"So, besides having a shitty name, what's his problem?"

"None of your fucking business, Cowboy!" Guarnere snapped.

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte's hand went on his lower back;

"come on, Bill". She murmured lowly.

"Alright, let's move out!" Lipton ordered them all.

But then added;

"quietly". Sending a knowing look towards Guarnere.

Which of course, he rolled his eyes at;

"was his damn fault". He muttered, "fucking, Cowboy".

Charlotte walked away from the bridge with Guarnere.

She then asked;

"Cowboy?"

He shrugged, "who even is this kid, Lottie?"

"' Dunno…he was sort of with Winters when I found them". She mumbled, "so, they've got that bond now or whatever".

Pulling a face, Guarnere looked down at her.

"Oh my God…". He whispered, with a tiny smirk, "are you fucking jealous?"

"No!"

Lipton sent her a warning look, "Lottie…".

Sighing, she lowered her eyes and shook her head;

"no". Charlotte whispered, "I'm not jealous, you prick. Why would I be jealous, like?"

Continuing to smirk, he replied;

"in case he decides to replace you with another wayward kid".

Guarnere snorted;

"don't worry, Lottie…the Quaker wouldn't replace you".

Sighing, Charlotte looked up at him.

"You need to stop saying that, Bill…I don't think he is one-"

"I didn't see him shooting, did you?"

Charlotte pulled a face, "Bill, he didn't have a weapon. He couldn't run down and start stabbing them, eh? That's just stupid".

"Lottie, I ain't even 'gonna argue".

"I'm not arguing". She said, "I'm just saying what I saw, Bill".

Guarnere shook his head, "so, you don't think he's a Quaker?"

"No". Charlotte stressed quietly, "Jesus – I live with him and his family, man. He's not a Quaker".

He shrugged, "I don't believe it, Lottie".

Sighing, Charlotte rolled her eyes;

"it's fine, Bill…let's not talk 'bout it the now".

She then added;

"cause my hands are fucking shaking".

Guarnere looked down at her hands;

"so they are". He noted, "don't tell me you got fucking scared, Lottie?"

Charlotte shook her head, "Nah…think it's the adrenaline or something".

**…**

When it started to get light, they were still marching through Normandy.

No other shots were fired along the way and Winters was leading the small party across marshy lands and muddy fields. They only encountered one hiccup during their travels. It happened while they crossed a marshy part of the field. Because Charlotte was small, the water almost covered her boots up completely and she waded through the water, going at a slower pace than the men before her.

Lipton was behind her; he was in the rear.

And while wading through the thick and muddy water, something jumped by Charlotte's face.

She knew exactly what it was.

Letting out a scream, Charlotte fell back and landed bum first into the water.

Of course, the men all stopped, thinking Charlotte had just been hit and they were now under attack. But that wasn't the case at all. Lipton quickly jogged over to her;

"Jesus – you alright, Lottie? You hit-"

"Are we under attack?" Toye asked, who was in front of Charlotte.

"What's the hold-up?!" Malarkey called from further up.

Sighing, Guarnere was soon standing next to Toye;

"what the hell scared you, Lottie?"

Eyes wide, her head jerked up;

"a fucking frog, Bill". She told him, shaking her head, "that wee bastard jumped right in front of me, man".

Rolling his eyes, Lipton grabbed her shoulder;

"come on, get up".

With Charlotte's uniform slightly soaking now, Guarnere coughed out a laugh;

"Christ, Lottie…this is what you get for being such a baby, huh?"

"Shut up, Bill". Charlotte muttered, "it's not funny".

He laughed again;

"it is". He said, "it's fucking hilarious…this could only happen to you, Lottie".

With the incident squashed and dealt with, they proceeded to cross the marshy field.

Once out of the field, the men spotted farmhouse.

Taking cover, Lipton and Popeye moved up to check if it was clear.

A couple of dead bodies were close by.

A German on the ground and a trooper in the tree.

Once the area was deemed clear, Winters ordered everyone to grab supplies from the corpses. Charlotte didn't need anything, as she didn't lose anything from the drop. But Winters grabbed an M1, Malarkey got Hall to search for a Luger inside the German's jacket and pockets. While Toye searched for ammo.

Charlotte turned away from Guarnere;

"where you going?" He asked.

"Pissing – be right back".

Guarnere snorted, "you're such a fucking lady, Lottie".

Just as Charlotte moved over to a bush, a squad of planes flew above their heads.

They all looked up.

"It's the navy". Lipton said.

"The landings have started". Winters told him, "let's go".

Nodding, the Sargent then ordered;

"let's move it!" He said, "Lottie – come on!"

"Aye, two ticks!" Charlotte called back.

"I'm not even 'gonna begin to understand what that means, Lottie". Lipton said, "but hurry it up, huh?"

Hall looked away from his watch;

"right on time". He said, referring to the navy landings.

Guarnere sharply looked at him;

"yeah? Tell that to him, Cowboy".

Hall got onto his feet;

"my name is Hall".

"Is that so?"

"Let's move out!" Winters called again.

When the men started to pack up, Malarkey walked over to Hall;

"you just 'gotta learn to return his fire, that's all".

"You just 'gotta realise it ain't about you". Toye then added.

"I just heard his brother-"

"Malarkey, shut your yap!" Guarnere told him off.

But Malarkey ignored his friend and told Hall;

"his brother got it at the Cassino. Found out before we jumped".

Lipton shook his head;

"Lottie for Christ-"

"I'm here!"

Charlotte appeared out from the bushes, with a tiny smile;

"See, I can be fast, Lip".

Snorting, Lipton rolled his eyes;

"come on, we've 'gotta move".

Charlotte caught up with Guarnere and stepped in time with him.

She looked up at her friend;

"what's that face for, Bill?"

Guarnere shook his head, "nothing – anyway, we should be there soon".

"Good". She said, "maybe we'll get a seat, eh?"

A tiny smile reached his lips.

"Yeah". Guarnere said, "I could use a sit down".

The men entered the small village of le Grand Chemin, three kilometres from Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. They were soon faced with a slippery and muddy road, which led to farmhouses. Winters led his men down that road and once in the courtyard, they were greeted with a loud bang.

Charlotte didn't even realise the familiar faces around at her first.

Because the bang silenced everything else around her.

But soon, Liebgott clapped her shoulder;

"Jesus – did you fall into a puddle, Lottie?"

Looking at him, Charlotte snorted;

"something like that…alright, Lieb?"

Smiling, Liebgott shook her hand.

"Yeah – good to see some more familiar faces, huh?"

"Aye, it is".

Among Liebgott was Buck, Ranney, Hendrix, Plesha and Petty.

But that raised a question;

"Meehan around?"

Ranney shook his head, "he ain't turned up yet".

"What about Moe?" Charlotte asked him, "is he here?"

Again, Ranney shook his head;

"no sign of him, or Bloser".

"Or Evans". Liebgott added.

"Jesus". Guarnere whispered.

"This here is Hall; Able Company". Popeye introduced to their friends.

"Also known as; Cowboy". Guarnere stated.

Smirking, Charlotte nudged his side, while the pair of them wandered off to find a seat. They located Buck, Winters and Lipton, leaning against an embankment of grass. So, they took a knee beside them and settled down for a short rest.

"Fucking heaven". Guarnere said, with a sigh on content".

Reaching for her canteen, Charlotte took a long drink of water.

Buck gave Charlotte a grin;

"how's it going, goofy? Lieutenant Winters told me about that hostile frog".

Shuddering, Charlotte screwed the cap back onto her canteen;

"I was proper scared, sir…gave me the biggest fright of my life".

Buck chuckled, "these Krauts should be a piece of cake, huh?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte huffed out a laugh;

"aye, maybe, sir".

Toye soon sat next to them;

"Malarkey's still talking to that prisoner from Oregon".

Guarnere raised an eyebrow, "no shit? What the hell is an American doing fighting with the Krauts?"

Toye shrugged, "he must be a Kraut".

"How'd that jump feel, goofy?" Buck asked, "what'd you jump from?"

Charlotte took a minute to think;

"maybe like…six hundred feet?"

Winters shook his head, "I think it was around five hundred, Lottie".

Her eyes widened a little;

"no wonder it bloody hurt".

Charlotte leaned back against the grass, her helmet tipped forward and covered her eyes, blocking what little sun was blinding her. Every so often, a loud and powerful gun would sound. And the men of Easy had a feeling, that it was meant for them to take care of.

Captain Hester soon came over to Winters and Buck;

"have you seen Lieutenant Meehan?"

"No, not yet". Buck replied.

"Well, Major Strayer wants Easy Company's CO upfront".

Buck looked at Winters;

"guess that means you, Dick".

When Winters left with Hester, Charlotte pushed her helmet up and looked over at Buck;

"sir?"

He looked her way, "yeah?"

Charlotte bit down on her lip;

"you think they're alright, sir? The guys who were with Meehan?"

Buck tread carefully with his answer, he didn't want Charlotte to get distracted.

"I'm sure they are, goofy". He assured her lightly.

A small look of relief reached her face;

"aw, that's good, sir". She said, "cause Moe and Rob were with Meehan, eh?"

Buck nodded, "yeah…I wouldn't worry about it, Lottie. We've got a lot to focus on, huh?"

"You think we're 'gonna be charging those guns, sir?"

He shrugged, "maybe, yeah".

Charlotte sighed, "aye, alright". She mumbled, "think they'll be loads of them?"

"I've no idea, goofy". He said, "nothing we can't handle, huh?"

Buck gave her an assuring smile;

"don't get all nervous on me, goofy".

Giving her head a shake, Charlotte sat herself up slightly.

"I'm not nervous, sir". She told him, "I was just wondering and that…cause like, it's best to know these things, eh?"

Buck's smile widened, "why don't you go and check it out?"

Charlotte snorted and looked up at him;

"you're having a laugh, eh?"

He chuckled, "yup".

When Malarkey joined them, he was slightly pale and shaky.

Charlotte looked over at him;

"Alright, Malark?"

But he didn't say anything.

Malarkey took a drink of water from his canteen instead.

Charlotte frowned;

_ "what the hell spooked him?"_ She wondered.

She then said to Guarnere;

"I bet he saw a fucking frog, Bill".

He snorted with an amused smile;

"Yeah…cause everyone's afraid of frogs in Easy, Lottie". He remarked sarcastically.

Shrugging, Charlotte faced the front and mumbled;

"they might be".


	18. Chapter 17

Only five minutes had gone by since Winters was called-up to see Strayer.

Eventually, their Lieutenant reached his men again;

"alright, follow me, everyone". Winters told them all.

Getting onto their feet, what was in Easy Company, followed Winters inside an old run-down barn, where they all gathered around a table. Charlotte felt a flutter of nerves when Winters had everyone gather around him. It reminded her of training exercises back in England. Which could only mean one thing;

"the 88's we've been hearing have been spotted in a field down the road 'away's. Major Strayer wants us to take them out". Winters informed his troops.

Charlotte watched, while he put pencil to paper.

And he drew an L shaped trench;

"there are two guns that we know of". He marked them down with an X, "firing on Utah beach. Plan on a third and a fourth here and here…".

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte looked down at the trench he had drew out for them.

"The Germans are in trenches". Winters continued to say, "with access to the entire battery. With machine-gun covering their rear. We'll establish a base of fire and move under it hard and fast, with two squads".

Guarnere's eyes moved onto their Lieutenant's;

"how many Krauts do you think we're facing?"

Looking back at him, Winters replied;

"no idea".

"No idea?" Guarnere looked down at Charlotte and nodded slowly.

"We'll take some TNT along with us". Winters said, "to spike the guns. Lipton, your responsibility".

"Yes, sir". The Sargent replied.

"Liebgott, you'll take the first machine-gun with Petty A gunner. Plesha, Hendrix, you take the other. Who does that leave?"

Charlotte raised her hand with the other men.

She hadn't even noticed Hall had joined them.

The man was standing right beside her.

"Compton, Malarkey, Guarnere, Wynn and Gallagher. Okay". He confirmed, "we'll be making the main assault. Understand?"

"Yes, sir".

Winters gave Lipton the nod, who then ordered;

"alright boys, girl – let's pack it up!"

"Shouldn't you be outside with the other Able Company guys?" Toye asked Hall lowly.

Guarnere snorted, "see you around, Hall".

Outside of the barn, Charlotte dropped everything else apart from her weapons and ammo. The men around were getting ready, as quickly as possible. Charlotte tried to swallow the feelings of nerves and fear, which sat heavily in her gut.

She had no idea that Lorraine, Sinks jeep-driver, had joined them.

Charlotte wasn't paying much attention.

But Guarnere did tell her;

"can you believe this shit, Lottie?" He mumbled, "this guy drives Sink around, you know?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"dunno, Bill…never met the lad".

Guarnere looked at her, "you're nervous, huh?"

She looked up at him;

"you're not?"

"I feel alright". He said, "I'm fucking ready for this, Lottie".

Charlotte chewed on her bottom lip;

"my brother came home with a black eye once…dad say's he's not allowed to come home, until Stewart beat the fuck out of that bully".

Guarnere's lips twitched, "and did he?"

Charlotte shook her head, "nah…but John did".

Nodding, Guarnere clapped her shoulder;

"you ever turn up with a black-eye, Lottie…I'd kill that fucking person".

"John almost did, with Stewart's school bully".

"Let's move!" Lipton ordered, "move! Move!"

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte whispered;

"here we fucking go".

**…**

Charlotte joined Buck, Malarkey and Guarnere for the assault on the other side of the trenches.

Winters had the other squad and the machine-gunners to offer them covering fire.

They were coming up towards the first gun, which turned out to be a 105mm, not an 88.

The firing had already started.

Once they reached the hedgerow, Winters had the squad and the machine-gunners blazing to life, while Lipton and Ranney covered them from the left. The men were spread out, giving the Germans the impression that an entire Platoon was out for them. When in fact, they couldn't even make up two full squads.

Crouching behind a hedgerow, Buck was ready for his men to take the first gun.

Leading the way, the Lieutenant crashed through the hedgerow and jumped into the trench. The Germans were taken by surprise, all around her, she could see them ducking for cover and running up and down the trench.

"Oh, shit!"

Looking Buck's way, she saw that his Tommy-gun wasn't working, the barrel was bent.

Holding up her rifle, Charlotte shot at the German who was trying to shoot Buck.

A few moments after, Guarnere and Malarkey began lobbing their grenades towards the first gun, where a few Germans were trying to operate it still.

The bullets were flying at them like rain, they had to constantly crouch to save them from getting hit in the head. Charlotte was small, she had a tiny advantage when it came to running through the trench and reaching one side to another. The sides of the trench swallowed her up and she could move unnoticed.

With the gun taken, they moved their attention across the field.

Charlotte stood on top of a small and almost flat box to look over the side of the trench, while she shot at the Krauts sprinting across the field before them.

"Jesus Christ!" Guarnere exclaimed.

Charlotte watched, while he took down one of the Krauts, which Lorraine had failed to shoot.

"Fucking jeep jokey!" He said, "Lottie – on me!"

Stepping down from the box, she ran behind Guarnere and moved further up the trench.

Winters had brought the squad into the trench with only one wounded.

Popeye.

"Holy fuck!" Charlotte was soon crouched beside him, "the fuck happened to you, Pop?!"

"They shot me in the ass, Lottie!" Popeye yelled.

Her eyes widened, "seriously?!"

"Yeah-"

"that's not fucking right, is it?!"

"No, it ain't!" Popeye agreed, "dirty playing bastards!"

Her friend was lying on his stomach, withering in pain.

And Toye soon came over, to help with Popeye;

"Lottie – get back to shooting!" He ordered her, "I'll sort Popeye's ass out!"

"Aye…aye – alright!" Shaking her head, Charlotte got onto her feet and faced the trench once again. Only, she didn't have her box to look over the side. It wasn't a very tall box, but it saved her standing on the balls of her feet for hours. Charlotte didn't have much of a choice, however, and was soon standing on the balls of hr feet, shooting across the field.

"Grenade!" Winters soon yelled.

And he soon yelled after the warning;

"Joe! Roll out! Roll out!"

Guarnere and Charlotte got down, while a grenade went off between Toye's legs.

The blast hit his rifle.

But Toye still checked that everything was okay.

Of course, the first place he checked was his groin.

"You're one lucky bastard, Joe!" Guarnere told him.

Winters then ordered for Guarnere, Malarkey and Lorraine to secure the first gun.

Charlotte, Toye and Buck gave them covering fire.

The Germans were constantly popping up at random.

Either outside, or inside the trench.

One German happened to pop up directly behind Charlotte.

When she heard a yell, Charlotte turned around, just as the German pulled the trigger.

Her eyes widened.

But no pain or blood came.

The German hissed something, while checking out his gun.

Toye, however, sharply turned to face the German and shot him.

Charlotte was patting herself down, making sure she wasn't in some kind of shock. But she couldn't feel anything, just the aches in her legs and feet from running.

"You good, Lottie?!" Toye asked, hand going on her shoulder.

He was crouched in front of her.

Charlotte met his eyes, which were slightly wide.

She nodded and huffed out a breathless laugh;

"I dodged the grim reaper there, Joe!" She exclaimed, "Jesus fuck!"

Turning back to face the field, Charlotte stood on the balls of her feet and started firing out again. Her brush with death was soon forgotten about. And while doing so, Buck and Winters went to check on Popeye.

She could still hear him apologising to Winters;

"I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to fuck up!"

They managed to get Popeye over the trench safely, where he'd make the crawl back to Battalion. Charlotte was still with Toye at that point, firing out across the field or around the trench. It was odd, how sharp the men could react under fire. And it was strange how little Charlotte thought and how quickly she followed orders or found a target.

Training must have really paid off.

"Grenade!" Buck soon yelled.

Only, she didn't hear Buck's yell right away.

"Toye!" Buck yelled, "Lottie! Get out of there!"

Someone grabbed her shoulder.

It must have been Toye.

While Winters and Buck managed to climb over the trench.

Toye and Charlotte were seconds behind them, not quite out, when the grenade exploded, sending them both flying back. Covered in mud and missing her helmet and rifle, Charlotte coughed, while a pair of hands pulled her into a sitting position.

Coughing up the dirt, Winters gave her back a clap, before putting on her helmet.

Her rifle was soon placed into her hands;

"Jesus". She choked out, shaking her head.

"Jesus Christ". Toye growled from behind her, "fucking twice".

Soon, the four of them began their assault on the second gun.

After a quick sprint through the trench, Winters told them;

"grenades first".

Moving further up towards the gun, they each took out a grenade, unclipped it and then tossed the explosives into the guns nest. A few Germans went flying, while some tried to run away. Already feeling tense from her brush with death, Charlotte charged forward;

"don't you fucking run away!"

The German dropped his gun and raised his hands in the air.

Toye pushed her behind him, while the German began to shout and scream;

"don't make me dead! Don't make me dead!"

Growing angry, Toye took a step towards him;

"shut up…shut up…". He stared off quietly, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Toye then screamed.

Charlotte flinched a little.

The German continued to yell.

So, lowering his rifle, Toye knocked the German out with a pair of brass knuckles.

Looking up at Toye, she figured they made quite the team.

He winked at her;

"come on, kid! Head on – let's clear the field!"

Charlotte and Toye shot at the Krauts who had ran away when they arrived.

"Lottie! With me!" She soon heard Winters yell.

Turning away from the field, Charlotte ended up running behind Winters towards the first gun, which Malarkey, Guarnere and Lorraine had currently secured. Now, all they needed was the TNT to destroy it, but Lipton was nowhere to be seen.

They had other problems on their hands, however.

"You idiot!" Winters was yelling, "what the hell are you doing, Malarkey?!"

Charlotte could see Malarkey briefly run out into no man's land, to search a dead German for a Luger. It wasn't a Luger; it was a sighting device. But luckily, the German's didn't shoot at first, thinking he might have been a medic. On Malarkey's run back, however, the German's opened fire and they feared they'd end up losing their friend for a moment.

When they reached the first gun, Charlotte took cover from the rain of bullets.

Lipton wasn't with them.

Meaning, they had no TNT.

And no way to start destroying the guns.

"Hiya, Cowboy!" Guarnere suddenly greeted loudly.

Frowning, Charlotte saw Hall, with another guy they hadn't seen before.

"Shut your fucking Guinea trap, Gonorrhoea!" Hall fired back.

Charlotte felt her lips twitched, while Guarnere said to her;

"he's alright, that kid!"

Hall and his friend were a great help.

For one, Hall had brought TNT, meaning they could start destroying the first two guns.

Charlotte reloaded her rifle.

She was running low on ammo and she wasn't the only one running low.

It was mad, how much ammo they all went through.

"Fire in the hole!" Winters yelled.

He has used a German stick grenade to set off the TNT.

And once that first gun had been destroyed, they could move on to the next.

Charlotte followed Lorraine, Malarkey, Hall and Winters back towards the second gun. Like most cases running through the trench, it was quick and dangerous. The men were crouching, ducking their heads and avoiding the bullets, which zoomed across their heads and thudded into the dirt.

Sending Malarkey, Hall and Buck off to take the third gun, Charlotte stayed with Toye and Lorraine, while Winters started to set off the second gun. With ammo getting dangerously low, she had to pick her targets carefully now and not act as gun-ho as she had been at the start.

"Fire in the hole!"

Winters was behind her, covering her body.

Once the blast finished, he gave her shoulder a clap;

"with me, Lottie!"

"Aye, alright, sir!" She replied.

Winters felt a tiny smile tug on the side of his lips.

Scrambling onto her feet, she followed the Lieutenant back through the trench and towards an underpass, which would take them up towards the third gun. However, Winters soon stopped dead in his tracks, once inside the underpass.

Charlotte almost crashed into his back.

She followed his stare and spotted Hall.

He was lying on his side, eyes open.

Blood had run down his face, coming out from a gash to the side of his head.

Winters crouched in front of the trooper and swatted a fly away from Hall.

Swallowing back a lump in her throat, Charlotte looked away and cleared her throat.

Winters grabbed Hall's dog tags and got back up;

"come on, trooper". He said quietly.

Nodding slowly, she followed Winters out of the underpass and joined Malarkey and Buck.

**…**

"Fire in the hole!"

Charlotte covered her ears;

"fucking hell…". She muttered.

The third gun had now been destroyed.

Meaning, they only had one more to take down.

Charlotte was firing over the side of the gun nest, shooting at the Germans who were running towards the fourth gun. But Winters was in desperate need of more ammo and if possible, reinforcements. He would have sent the man Hall had come with, but he was nowhere to be seen. His eyes did land on Charlotte almost immediately, who was small enough to sneak out of the trench, crawl across the field and make it back to Battalion.

Walking over to her, with maps in his hands, he crouched beside her;

"Lottie!" He addressed.

Charlotte looked at him;

"aye?!"

"I need your help with something!" Winters told her, "tell our machine-gunners to come up and join me!"

She nodded, "like Liebgott and that, sir?! Are they still at the second gun?!"

"They are!" Winters confirmed, "after you do that, I need you to go to Battalion, hand Major Strayer these maps I found and tell him we've taken three guns but in order to take the fourth, we'll need ammo and reinforcements!"

Absorbing that information, Charlotte nodded and took the maps;

"aye, sounds fine!" She said, while stuffing the maps into her jacket pockets.

Winters placed his hands on her shoulders;

"Lottie, stay very low, alright?! Don't raise your head for anything!"

"Stay low – alright, sir!"

He hated to send her.

But Winters was confident that Charlotte could do this task with ease.

Charlotte sent him a tiny smile;

"back in two ticks, sir!"

Winters gave her a tight smile back;

"cover for Lottie!" He ordered Buck and Malarkey.

Charlotte scurried back under the pass and moved through the trench.

She didn't come across any troubles and reached the second gun with ease.

Charlotte got Liebgott and Petty back to Winters, before she took off towards the first gun, where she told Plesha and Hendrix the same.

With that finished, Charlotte soon came to realise the hardest part was staring right in front of her. Jumping up and over the trench, she began to crawl through the grassy field. Never in her life, did she ever imagine herself crawling through a field, while bullets zipped over her head.

Before this, Charlotte lived a normal and quiet life.

But now, this was beginning to feel normal.

And Charlotte wasn't sure if that was a positive outlook or not.

Getting onto her feet, Charlotte sprinted down the road and was soon in the courtyard.

She found Strayer and a few of his men by one of the grass embankments.

Pulling out the maps, Charlotte raced towards them;

"Major Strayer!" She addressed.

Sweaty, muddy and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, Charlotte pushed the maps into the Major's arms, before quickly telling him;

"we need more ammo and-"

"what are these?" One of the officers inquired.

Strayer took a look at the maps;

"it's German…we'll need a translator".

Charlotte tried twice to speak with Strayer, who simply told her;

"we'll get on it soon, Private".

Shaking her head, she turned her back on the officers;

"fuck this". Charlotte muttered, "I'll find my own fucking help".

Leaving the officers, she searched the courtyard for another officer from their Battalion. Charlotte didn't care by that point; they just needed more men and ammo. It was just by luck, that she bumped into Lieutenant Speirs, a Platoon leader from Dog Company. The man looked her up and down;

"what's going on?" He demanded lowly, "where's your Lieutenant?"

"Still there". She replied, breathlessly, "we need ammo and more men, sir".

"Alright". Speirs said, "grab some magazines and follow me, trooper".

A tiny smile reached Charlotte's lips, while she picked up rifle clips and placed machine-gun ammo around her neck. Speirs gathered up ten men from Dog Company and it was all done so quickly, that Charlotte soon found herself running back towards the third gun, where Winters and the men were waiting.

"Winters!" Speirs said, while jumping into the guns nest.

Charlotte jumped down as well and handed out some the magazines to Buck and Toye.

"Your trooper said you needed some ammo and men!"

Winters gave him a tiny smile;

"Malarkey!" He then said, "take as much as you can for everyone!"

Malarkey took the machine-gun ammo from Charlotte's neck and made his way towards the gunners. While doing this, Charlotte reloaded her rifle and found a position near the front. Speirs, his men and Guarnere all ran towards the fourth gun.

"Sir!" Lipton had finally joined them, "had a little trouble getting through that first field".

Winters pointed towards the destroyed gun.

Lipton sighed, "oh, Christ…".

"We're 'gonna need it at the next gun. Once it's blown, pull-out. Go!"

"Yes, sir!"

With the fourth gun destroyed, Winters wanted to pull everyone back towards the road.

The battle had gone on for roughly three hours.

It was constant, exhausting and they could have slept for weeks.

But of course, the trenches were still occupied, and a German machine-gun nest were still placed behind one of the hedgerows. So, when Nixon arrived with some Sherman tanks, they blasted the rest of the Germans away and destroyed the machine-gun nests with ease.

By the afternoon, Causeway two was secured.

Charlotte was standing in the field, taking in the quiet. When just minutes ago, the place was bouncing with tank guns, mortars and MG fire. Now, it was quiet and safe to cross the field. Legs shaking, she bent over and placed her hands onto her knees.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a few deep breaths and tried to squash the aftermath of nerves she was feeling, while the adrenaline left her body for the time being. But it was no use, Charlotte ended up fully sitting on the grassy field, while her eyes wandered towards the dead bodies scattered beyond the trench.

"Smoke 'em if you've got 'em". Buck then told her, while crouching beside her.

He followed Charlotte's gaze beyond the trench.

And his eyes eventually wandered back to the side of her face;

"you good, goofy?"

Buck's voice was light, gentle and slightly hoarse from screaming out orders for three hours straight. That was nothing new, Buck had always been compassionate and kind towards his men. Much like Winters was.

Charlotte nodded, though her eyes told a different story.

Reaching into her pocket, she brought out her pack of cigarettes and took one out.

Lighting her cigarette up, she took a long and deep drag.

Smiling small, Buck clapped her shoulder;

"you did good today, Lottie". He told her, "you all did…we were one big fighting machine out there, huh?"

Blowing out the smoke, Charlotte nodded again.

"Aye, sir". She whispered, "we were".

Buck squeezed her shoulder;

"what're you thinking, goofy? Hope not too much. It ain't dark yet".

Looking at her Lieutenant, a small smile reached her lips.

Taking in another drag from the cigarette, she faced the front again and blew out the smoke.

"It's good that Lieutenant Welsh and that came along". She said lightly.

Buck nodded, "yeah, it is".

Charlotte bit down on her lower lip.

"My dad…he used to say that I needed to stop being so soft". She said quietly, "I'm too home-like, you know? Like, I was never meant to go out and be a soldier or that, sir".

Shaking her head, she took in another drag.

"But maybe I wasn't the only one, who used to be all homely and stuff, sir".

"You weren't". Buck said to her, "no one is born to fight in a war, Lottie. Some people are just better at it than others". He shrugged, "you know, born leaders and the likes. But if you ain't about to shit yourself, when you're close to death, then you're already dead".

Snorting, Charlotte finished off her cigarette and flicked the end away.

Rubbing her hands together, she looked up at Buck;

"aye, I about shat it when that Kraut had his barrel up in my puss".

Grinning, Buck squeezed her shoulder again;

"come on, we're moving out".

"Where we off to?"

"Wherever they need us, goofy".


	19. Chapter 18

The 506th spent it's first full night in France outside of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.

Light discipline was strict, as they didn't want to attract any Luftwaffe or German Platoons. So, the men dug around behind a hedgerow, or were placed on outpost duty. For the men who fought in Brecourt, they sat in the back of a truck and gathered around, while Malarkey cooked them some hot food over a small fire.

Hand going over her mouth, Charlotte gagged.

"Fucking hell". She choked out, eyes burning, "the fuck, Malark?"

Liebgott was in the same boat as Charlotte, he looked ready to puke and bail.

Malarkey, however, laughed;

"combat makes me gassy".

"Come on". Liebgott groaned, shaking his head.

Which made Malarkey laugh again;

"come on, what?"

"I don't 'wanna die in the back of this damn truck, that's what!"

Liebgott moved towards the opening, where the flap was sealed.

"Come on, you're stepping on my legs!" Toye said.

"Jesus!" Liebgott exclaimed, "let me 'outta here!"

With the flap open, Liebgott jumped out into fresh air.

"Light! Light discipline!" Lipton hissed, "Guarnere, close that flap".

Scooting up, Guarnere closed the flap;

"let the Krauts cook their own Goddamn food". He muttered.

Charlotte shook her head, "yeah". She said, "how come they got our rations?"

He sighed, "no idea, Lottie".

That same horrible smell reached her nose again.

Charlotte shared a groan with a few other men.

The worst part was, she was sitting right next to Malarkey.

While one hand went over her mouth and nose, Charlotte used the other to give his back a shove;

"Jesus wept, Malark!" She exclaimed; voice muffled behind her hand.

Snorting, Guarnere asked;

"how we doing, Malarkey?"

Picking up his tin, Malarkey tasted the food;

"we're doing good".

Buck leaned over the cooked meal;

"yeah? What the hell do you know about cooking, you're Irish".

Guarnere smirked.

While Malarkey chuckled, "sir, if you have reservation someplace else, I'd be happy to go with you".

The master chef dished out a serving for each of the men.

Charlotte looked down at her meal, which was piping hot.

They could all appreciate a hot meal.

Even if it didn't look very appetising.

But just as she was about to take a bite, Malarkey farted again.

And the horrible smell reached her nose once more.

Charlotte groaned, "fuck sake, man".

"Jesus Christ, give me some air!" Guarnere exclaimed.

Malarkey smirked, "oh, God…".

"Did you shit?" Charlotte almost demanded, she then looked over at Toye, "did he shit?"

Toye shrugged, "sure smells that way".

"He's enjoying this". She mumbled, "the wee creep".

Laughing, Malarkey sat next to her and nudged her side;

"shut up, Lottie".

The flap soon opened, and Winters head poked into the truck;

"evening".

"Hello, sir". Guarnere greeted back.

"Did something die in here?"

"Yeah, Malarkey's ass". Someone commented, which caused a few of them to chuckle.

However, Buck then asked;

"any word on Lieutenant Meehan, sir?"

With the smile wiped from her face, Charlotte looked over at Winters.

Looking up at Buck, he replied;

"no, not yet".

Winters was trying to open a can of something.

Buck looked at Guarnere.

He asked, "don't that make you our commanding officer, sir?"

Winters looked at Guarnere;

"yeah, it does".

A few moments went by.

Toye then passed Winters a bottle of cider, "sir?"

"Joe, the Lieutenant don't drink". Guarnere told him.

Picking up another stick, Charlotte poked the small fire with Lipton.

Looking down at her, he gave her a tiny smile.

But, when looking back up, Charlotte saw Winters take the bottle of cider.

"It's been a day of firsts". He said, before taking a swig.

When Winters swallowed that hard cider, it didn't look as though he enjoyed it.

Charlotte couldn't blame him; she wasn't a huge fan of cider either.

"Don't you think, Guarnere?" Winters said, handing the bottle back to him.

Taking the bottle, Guarnere nodded;

"yes, sir". He agreed and took his own drink of cider.

"Carry on". Winters said.

"Goodnight, sir".

But, before lifting the flap, Winters said something else;

"oh, Sargent?"

Guarnere looked back at the Lieutenant, "sir?"

"I'm not a Quaker".

Charlotte looked over at Guarnere;

"I told you!"

Soon, the truck erupted into laughter.

"He's probably a Mennonite!" Guarnere joked.

Toye frowned, "what's a Mennonite?"

Lipton gave the bottle to Charlotte;

"not too much". He warned her.

Shrugging, Charlotte took another sip.

She pulled a face;

"it's rank". Leaning forward, she handed the bottle to Toye.

Charlotte attention went back to her meal.

Taking back her spoon, she scooped up the meat and chopped vegetables before shoving it into her mouth. It didn't have much of a flavour, meaning it didn't taste as bad as it appeared. She shrugged and took another spoonful of Malarkey's fine cooking.

"Well". Lipton said, "suppose we better start digging in, huh?"

"That time already?" Buck mumbled, looking around at his men.

"Sure is, sir". Lipton told him lightly, "I think we deserve some sleep tonight".

Guarnere ran a hand down his face, "I could sleep for weeks, Lip".

Toye snorted, "same".

"You know, with Moe not around at the moment". Guarnere worded carefully, "that makes you squad leader, Joe".

Nodding slowly, Toye pointed out;

"with Punchy not around, that makes you Platoon Sargent, Bill".

"Which makes Malarkey mortar squad Sargent". Charlotte added softly.

She then added with a tiny smile;

"and I get to stay the exact same".

Toye snorted, "lucky you, huh? Jim can take my place then".

"That's right, man". Charlotte mumbled, "'am not ready to be anyone's assistant".

Guarnere sighed, "yeah…cause you're a baby, Lottie".

Leaning forward, she sent him a tiny glare;

"'am not even upset or that, you prick".

He smirked, "alright, you're wearing your brave pants – good for you, Lottie".

Charlotte let out a tiny laugh;

"you're a giant arse, Bill".

When the meal ended, the fire was put out and the men left the back of the truck. Headed towards their line, they got in behind the hedgerow and started to dig themselves a foxhole each. Welsh had turned up with thirty men from Easy after the battery assault on Breacourt. Grant, Potter, Jackson and Campbell were among those men. Which meant only five from 1st squad had turned up for duty. Stokes, Kiehn, Harold Hayes, Ed Mauser, Lesniewski, Robert Bloser and Moe still hadn't turned up.

Charlotte did worry for her friends who weren't with them.

And she worried even more when she walked by Welsh and Winters;

"when I was coming down this morning". Welsh said, "I drifted over a burning C-47 lying in a field outside of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Think that might have been Meehan's?"

"God, I hope not Harry". Winters answered sincerely, "I keep hoping he'll show up, with the other men from his stick".

"But you don't think he'll catch up, do you?" Welsh asked him.

Winters sighed, "what concerns me is that no one's seen anyone from that plane. Not Sargent Evans, Bloser, Moe, Carl Riggs, Dick Owens, Herm Collins. None of them. That's not good".

Standing a few feet behind the two Lieutenant's, Charlotte, feeling her eyes burn, looked up towards the sky. Feeling something tug at her heart and her stomach twist with worry, she didn't even try to stop those emotions. It had been a long day; Charlotte was exhausted and didn't have the strength to stop her heart from hurting.

Moe was the first man to talk to Charlotte when she joined Easy.

He was married, loved his wife and didn't deserve to be lost in Normandy.

Elmar Murray, was the ideal man to lead a squad.

And they were lucky to have him lead their 1st squad.

Lowering her head, Charlotte walked towards her foxhole.

Guarnere was doing his rounds, making sure the men were settled in.

When he reached Charlotte, she had her head in her hands and was staring at the muddy earth below her. Frowning a little, Guarnere got in beside her;

"want a buddy?" He asked, "I don't mind sharing, Lottie".

Charlotte shrugged.

He took that as a yes.

Reaching into her bag, Guarnere pulled out her blanket and covered them both up;

"lie back". He instructed, "it's cold".

Guarnere knew Charlotte well enough to know that she was thinking about the men who hadn't turned up yet. And he wasn't an idiot, Meehan's plane might have gone down, it was beginning to look that way, anyway. As no one had heard anything or seen anyone, from that stick. He was friendly with the men aboard that plane, but Charlotte was bound to be worried too.

Lying back, Charlotte curled up into a ball and pressed up against Guarnere's side.

The blanket was over her head.

"Bill?" She whispered; voice muffled.

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

There was a tiny pause.

In that pause, Guarnere heard an explosion and saw a burst of flame erupt in the distance.

"Are they 'gonna come back?" Charlotte asked, in a small voice.

Staring at the flames in the distance, Guarnere shook his head, knowing that she couldn't see him;

"maybe". He said quietly, "huh? Maybe".

**…**

After dreaming of Irena all night, Charlotte's eyes snapped open at around four in the morning.

Guarnere was sleeping soundly next to her, after keeping watch most of the night.

Pulling the blanket off from her head, she sat up in the foxhole and saw Winters, who was talking quietly with Captain Hester. The Captain had been an officer with Easy back in Toccoa, so, Charlotte didn't feel that strange when the two officers noticed a pair of eyes on them.

Getting up from the foxhole, she made her way towards the men and saluted them both.

"Morning, Private". Hester greeted quietly, "how did you sleep?"

"Fine, sir". She replied, voice still thick with sleep. "Can't beat sleeping in a hole, eh?"

With a tiny smile, Winters looked down at her;

"I've 'gotta start getting the Platoon leaders up soon".

Nodding slowly, Charlotte said through a yawn;

"we going somewhere, sir?"

"Sure are". Hester replied, "Easy's got the point, we're advancing into Vierville".

"Sound, sir". Charlotte said quietly.

When Captain Hester left, Charlotte looked up at Winters;

"I wasn't like…spying or that, sir".

Raising an eyebrow, he looked down at her.

She continued to say, "so, like – Lieutenant Meehan's plane, sir? I just wish we knew".

Face forming into a frown, Winters nodded.

"Try and not think about it, alright?" He told her quietly, "I need you focused today, Lottie".

Yawning again, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, sir".

Winters smiled;

"why don't you try and rest for an hour? I've still 'gotta brief the officers".

Rubbing her eyes, Charlotte agreed with him.

"I will, sir". She said, "need to stop being so damn tired".

Snorting, Winters clapped her shoulder;

"see you soon, Lottie".

**…**

Ten minutes before six in the morning and Buck was waking Charlotte up.

"Come on, goofy". He gave her a gentle shake, "you've got ten minutes".

Still slightly groggy, Charlotte grabbed her things and stumbled out of the foxhole. Running a hand down her face, she drank some of her water, ate leftovers from the meal Malarkey cooked last night and was soon standing in formation with 2nd Platoon and Easy.

Giving her stomach a rub, Charlotte sighed;

"Malark's meal isn't good for eating now".

Toye looked down at her, "you ate that shit this morning?"

Charlotte shrugged, "there was nothing else for eating, Joe".

He huffed, "you're brave for eating that shit again, kid".

"I'm fucking stupid". She mumbled.

They had only walked half a mile when German firearms cracked to life.

Buck got his Platoon deployed to the right, with Welsh and 1st Platoon to the left, leaving 3rd in reserve with the mortars. Taking cover, the men began to fire out their weapons. Spread out across a muddy field, Toye had the squad moving forward, very slowly. Charlotte could see the Germans, who were poking up from trenches they had dug outside of Vierville. It seemed they had reoccupied the village.

"Fuck sake". Charlotte whispered while she shot out towards the enemy.

Potter then yelled;

"folks at home sure won't believe this, Lottie!"

A tiny smile reached her lips, "I missed you, Geo!"

The Germans began to blast out their mortars, so, Easy mortar squads answered back.

When that first mortar landed, Charlotte, Potter, Campbell and Toye all quickly dove for cover. Jackson was one second too late and he got hit hard with shrapnel. He let out a little yelp of pain, before promptly passing out from the large gash in his head.

Charlotte crawled towards her friend;

"Joe!" She yelled for Toye, "Joe! Jack's been hit!"

Toye made his over to them;

"well, Lottie!" He yelled, "call for a medic, huh?!"

Cursing under her breath, Charlotte started to call for a medic.

All the while, she pressed her jacket sleeve up to Jackson's wound.

Roe arrived shortly after her call, despite the bullets heading his way.

Getting down, he quickly assessed Jackson's head;

"we've 'gotta get him out of here".

Charlotte nodded, "sounds good, doc". She said, "you wanting him over your shoulder? I'll cover for you both".

Roe agreed, "alright, let's cover his wound and get him back to the aid station".

Trouble was, they didn't have an aid station at the moment.

So, Jackson was placed inside the back of a truck, while Roe cleaned up his wound and secured a bandage around his head. By midmorning, the deadly exchanged had died down enough for Sink to set up Regimental Headquarters in the small hamlet of Angoville-au-Plain. Easy was pulled off the line to provide security around the hamlet.

Roe made a small aid station inside a church, which had seen many blood and death.

Jackson was safe, however, as well as other wounded men from the 506th.

The hamlet was a disgrace.

The small row of houses had been long abandoned, partly destroyed, and the fields and roads were littered with rotting dead bodies, creating a terrible stench; one which Charlotte couldn't stomach. Feeling sicker by the minute, Charlotte tried to ignore the nausea and continued digging herself a foxhole for the night. She wasn't sure how long they were planning on staying in the hamlet, but it was home for the time being.

"Drink?"

Looking up, Charlotte saw Martin;

"you're a bit late, eh?" She commented softly, glad to see her friend again. "What's that you've got?"

"Cognac". Martin told her, "it's strong and it'll burn your fucking throat, Lottie".

"Will it get rid of the stench?"

He nodded, "sure will, Lottie".

Jumping up, Charlotte sat on the edge of her foxhole and took the bottle.

Martin sat down next to her;

"yeah…listen, huh?"

Nodding, Charlotte look a drink from the Cognac.

Sure enough, it burnt her throat.

But at least she wasn't thinking about the dead bodies anymore.

"Go easy on the stuff, alright?" He told her, "it ain't like vodka, Lottie".

"Are we sharing or what?" Charlotte asked him.

Grinning, he took the bottle off her;

"sure are, Lottie".

Smiling, she nudged his side, "drinking buddies are back, eh?"

"Back in action, Lottie". Martin agreed, "and in combat".

After he took a drink, he handed it back to Charlotte.

"Heard about Hall". He said, "he did good, huh?"

With another soft smile, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, he saved us loads of time".

Taking a sip, the bottle was passed over to Martin.

"No news from Meehan's plane?"

Shaking his head, Martin told her;

"kid, I wouldn't get your hopes us". He warned her lowly, "it's fucking shit but…look, we might be getting some bad news, you know?"

Sighing heavily, Charlotte felt her shoulders drop;

"man…Moe and Rob were on that plane". She whispered, shaking her head, "the fuck?"

After taking a drink, Martin gave it back to Charlotte;

"just drink, Lottie. You won't be worried shortly".

Charlotte and Martin finished off the Cognac and were both drunk before the sun went down. The brandy was strong, and a drink Charlotte wasn't familiar with. When Martin left to sleep in his foxhole until the morning, Charlotte walked aimlessly around the hamlet. The dead bodies didn't make her feel anything, the sickening feeling in her stomach had long gone and she felt light, dizzy and warm inside.

However, unknown to Charlotte, the Germans across the road and hidden in a treeline had spotted the wondering drunk trooper. But luckily for Charlotte, Easy had outposts set up close by and they could spot the Germans;

"Krauts!" Some yelled, "Krauts in the trees – get down, Lottie!"

Dropping onto her stomach, their machine-guns blared to life, from either side.

She rolled off the path and ended up behind a house.

Leaning against the wall, Charlotte giggled lightly into her hand.

"Fuck". She said out loud, "that was a close one".

With the firing still going on, Charlotte got onto her feet and walked away from the house.

Some men rushed by, with their machine-guns at the ready.

Including Buck, who for the first time, looked pissed off;

"for God's sake, Lottie!" He yelled, "did you set the Krauts off?!"

Charlotte shrugged.

She then hiccupped and snorted;

"sir…we're in a war, sir". Charlotte slurred, "they just 'wanna fight".

Shaking his head, Buck the ordered her to;

"get back in your foxhole – and stay there, until you sober up".

Charlotte tripped and stumbled back towards her foxhole. The firing had stopped, Easy had managed to push the Germans away from the treeline. She fell into her foxhole and leaned back against the mud, staring up at the night's sky.

"What happened?" Campbell mumbled, from the hole next to her.

Charlotte huffed;

"Krauts…they saw me".

Frowning, Campbell sat up and looked at her;

"fuck". He sighed, "you're drunk".

Clicking her finger, she raised her hand in the air;

"that's right". Charlotte said, "so's Johnny – drinking pals are back together, Jimmy-boy".

"Well, he ain't with you now". He mumbled, with a frown, "Lottie, Winters is 'gonna kill you".

She shrugged.

Campbell raised an eyebrow, "oh, you don't care?"

"Nah".

"Not even if he tells you he's disappointed again?"

Pulling a face, Charlotte asked;

"how'd you know 'bout that?"

"I got ears". Campbell said, "well, listen up, kid. You set off the Krauts, you're fucking wasted, and you pretty much fucked it up".

Charlotte tutted;

"I didn't fuck anything up, Jim". She mumbled, "it's all good-"

"it ain't 'all good', you idiot". Campbell muttered, "what if someone got hurt, huh? Jesus, Lottie. You can't be drinking when we're this close to the enemy".

Charlotte rolled her eyes;

"fine". She sighed, "I just wanted to-"

"Private".

Charlotte was cut off, by a firm voice behind her.

Clearing his throat, Campbell gave Winters a tight smile and looked away.

Slowly, Charlotte turned around and looked up.

He gave her a hard stare;

"follow me".

Charlotte really didn't want to follow him.

In fact, she cringed at the thought of her being yelled at.

Her stomach did tighten a little, while she bit down on her lip and slowly got out of her foxhole. Once on clumsy feet, Winters grabbed her arm and led her into a house, which served as the Company Headquarters. Inside, the rooms were lit only by the dim flames from candles. Charlotte could see Diel and Lipton sitting around a table, going over a map. And then, she could spot Welsh, who was passed-out drunk on the sofa.

To give them some privacy, Winters took her into the kitchen and closed the door.

Though, it wasn't much of a kitchen really.

The only things still standing were a sink, a few counters and a table with three chairs.

Shaking his head, Winters let go of her arm and took a step back;

"I'm banning alcohol". He said to her, "what you did today, was reckless and utterly irresponsible. I thought you might have learned from your previous mistake, Charlotte but you've repeated a greater mistake. You're lucky that no one got hurt. And you're lucky that the men on the outpost, managed to locate the enemy before they put a bullet through your damn head!"

When his voice raised, Charlotte flinched.

"How many more mistakes are you 'gonna do, until you learn from them, Charlotte?!" He stressed, "this puts me in a very difficult position, you've got to respect that!"

Her head snapped up;

"I do". She said, "I do-"

"you don't". Winters said, "if you did, then you wouldn't have gotten drunk and made the perfect target for the Krauts, Charlotte!"

Charlotte's head lowered again.

She stared at her muddy boots.

Winters took in a deep breath, trying to calm his anger.

Though, he was more worried than anything else.

"Okay". He said more to himself while running a hand across his chin.

Looking back down at Charlotte, Winters said;

"why'd you get so drunk?"

She shrugged.

"'Dunno". Charlotte mumbled.

Clearing his throat, Winters tried again;

"wrong answer, Charlotte".

Sighing, Charlotte said;

"cause…it smells in this village and Johnny says the Cognac would make me feel better".

"You mean the bodies?"

She nodded, "aye…I felt sick".

"Lottie, we're all smelling that". Winters reminded her, "it ain't just you".

"I know". Charlotte mumbled, "but…maybe you's are stronger or something".

Winters frowned a little.

While she added;

"maybe I'm just soft". Charlotte whispered, "cause…cause maybe Moe and Rob aren't coming back".

His frown deepened;

"are you worried about them?" Winters asked her.

Charlotte nodded, "aye, sir". She admitted quietly. "It's pure sad, eh? Moe was my first pal in Easy. You're not supposed to…to see your pals go".

Her bottom lip quivered, while tears filled her eyes;

"but…'a guess you do here". Charlotte mumbled thickly.

Crouching in front of her, Winters hand went on her shoulder;

"you are brave, Lottie". He told her softly, "you all did a fantastic job during the battery assault. And I picked you to grab more ammo and reinforcements back at Battalion because I can trust you to do a hard job".

Biting down on her trembling lip, Charlotte remained silent.

He gave her shoulder a squeeze, "you're my family here and back home in Lancaster. My mom and dad told me to bring both of us home when this war ends. And I'm 'gonna try my hardest to do that for them". Winters said, "I treat you like I do with all of my troopers, Lottie. But if you ever feel the need to drink away your worries or fears, then you come to me, alright? Or talk to me about anything". He said, "you're my family, alright?"

Slowly looking up to meet his eyes, Charlotte nodded.

Smiling small, Winters let go of her shoulder and straightened himself back up.

"As for your punishment-"

Before he could issue out any form of punishment, Charlotte leaned forward and vomited.

Grimacing, Winters placed his hand on her back;

"you can clean that up". He mumbled.


	20. Chapter 19

Sitting on a set of stairs in front of a front door, Charlotte brought out another cigarette.

Guarnere was next to her, with Buck sitting below them.

The day was getting on and the main centre of the hamlet was packed with Easy men, who were talking, showing off things they had looted from houses, or catching up with the men who reported back to their Platoon. Hayes, Stokes, Lensiewski, Kiehn and Mauser showed up during the night, without Moe and Bloser. With Jackson wounded, Toye didn't have a full squad. Practically no one did but they made do with the men they had.

"What'd he say?" Guarnere asked her.

She sighed, "he yelled this time".

He smirked, "did he give you hell-"

"all kinds of hell". Charlotte mumbled.

Guarnere nodded, "well…you deserved it, Lottie – you got too drunk".

She pulled a face;

"I know you're not giving me a fucking lecture on drinking too much, Bill".

Buck barked out a laugh;

"she's right about that, Gurno".

"But". Guarnere defended, "I can handle my drink".

Charlotte laughed this time;

"you're full of shit, Bill…mind that time we got fucking arrested?"

He shrugged, "at least I don't pass out, huh?"

"At least I don't whitey".

Guarnere frowned, "the hell does that mean?"

"Like – get sick from the drink, Bill". Charlotte explained, "I don't do that-"

"ah, but you are full of shit, goofy". Buck pointed out, with a grin, "Winters told me you puked in CP".

Guarnere laughed;

"you're full of shit, Lottie!"

Charlotte blushed, "shut up…I can handle my drink, Bill".

He knocked her helmet, so it covered her eyes;

"lying to me, huh? You ass".

Charlotte pushed her helmet back up;

"aye, I'm a giant ass, Bill".

She then smiled and nudged his side;

"but you know what you're good at, best pal?"

"What's that?" Guarnere asked.

"Finding out what's going on". She said, "like, how come everyone's gathered here? We moving out or something?"

Buck nodded, "we are". He told her, "we're taking Carentan".

"We're leaving when it gets dark". Guarnere said, "so we get there in the morning".

"Aye but…isn't everything flooded?" Charlotte asked, with a tiny frown. "Won't we struggle?"

Guarnere shrugged and lit up a cigarette;

"probably". He said, "we'll manage, we always do".

Buck looked behind him and at Charlotte;

"hey, goofy?"

"Aye, sir?"

"Where'd you grow up?"

Charlotte blinked, slightly surprised by the random question.

Guarnere grinned, "good luck with finding that out, Buck…she don't talk about her-"

"aye, I do". She mumbled, "but you's just fall asleep when you ask me".

He smirked, "we're sure sorry about that, Lottie".

Shaking her head, she looked at Buck;

"well, sir". Charlotte said, "I grew up outside of Edinburgh, in the borders. I went to school in Edinburgh and aye…that's 'bout it, really".

"What was it like there?" Buck asked.

She shrugged, "we lived in a cottage, sir…near where my dad worked. My brothers said I was an accident, like – but…aye, I wasn't meant to be born".

Guarnere laughed, "you never told me that!"

Looking up at him, Charlotte glared a little;

"aye…I did, you prick. But you and Malarkey fell asleep".

Chuckling, Buck asked;

"what'd you do as a kid, goofy?"

Sighing, she shrugged;

"I ate loads…read and saw my pal at the weekends". Charlotte said, "mum says I could have lost a bit of weight, eh?"

Guarnere shook his head, "I still find that fucking weird, Lottie".

"I was a fat wee thing-"

"shut your damn mouth". He mumbled, "anyway – Irena? She was your pal, huh?"

Charlotte nodded, "that's right, we did everything together". She said, "well – we'd go into the city, go to the library and read together".

Guarnere snorted, "fucking Christ…really?"

"Aye, really".

Sighing, Guarnere shook his head;

"alright, Lottie…continue".

"But once". Charlotte said quietly, "we went into this wee club, where this guy was playing his piano and this older lassie was singing. We weren't allowed to be in there, eh? But the place was pure dead, no one gave a shit. Think the performers were just happy to have an audience. Even if it was a couple of thirteen-year-olds".

Buck smiled, "where's Irena now, Lottie?"

She shrugged, "she's gone, man". Charlotte mumbled softly, "she left when my mum died".

Guarnere frowned a little, "hey, Lottie?"

"Aye?"

"You said your mum died suddenly, huh?"

Charlotte nodded, with a little sigh, "just out of the blue, Bill. Woke up, did my usual morning stuff and then there she was – dead in her bed".

Buck's face dropped;

"shit, Lottie…".

Charlotte cleared her throat, "not sure how she died. Dad says she died of a broken heart cause we lost John and Stewart but…I 'dunno, like – I think she did it on purpose, eh?"

Guarnere frowned, "what? Like suicide?"

"Aye". She mumbled, "my brothers meant the world to mum, eh? And all she had left was me". Charlotte snorted, "the daughter who wasn't meant to do much in life. When my brothers vanished, the spotlight was on me, eh? And fuck – wasn't she disappointed".

There was a moment of silence.

Guarnere cleared his throat;

"fucking hell, Lottie". He mumbled, "that's some sad shit".

She rubbed the back of her neck;

"could have done better, I guess. I mean, I was bright enough at school and that, but my brothers were the stars of our family". Charlotte said, "and when the stars fucked off somewhere else, that was it for mum. All she had left was her accident".

"EASY COMPANY!" Diel soon yelled.

Guarnere and Buck jumped a little.

"WE'RE MOVING OUT!"

**…**

Navigating through the swamped and flooded fields of Normandy was difficult.

The burning vehicles and carriages lit up their way, while the troopers marched and waded through the water, slapping away mosquitoes and trying not to trip over the many dead bodies. The rotting corpses left a terrible stench, leaving some men sick to their stomach.

Light and noise discipline was strict, meaning the men couldn't smoke.

Things got a little frustrating when Easy kept on losing contact with Fox Company.

Whenever that happened, they stopped, put their machine-guns in place and waited. It took up a lot of time and Winters was growing anxious that they'd never make it to their objective. Charlotte was just happy for the short rest; her legs and feet were aching from the tough journey. And, like the rest of the men, she was exhausted.

Toye crouched next to her, with a tiny sigh;

"tired?" He asked her.

Charlotte nodded, while giving her legs a rub;

"wee bit, aye". She told him, "think Fox are pure lost?"

"Nah…they ain't stupid, kid". Toye said, "just some officers skipped night-time problems back in training".

"So…we blame them?"

"Yup – fuck 'em, Lottie".

A tiny smile reached her lips, "alright, Joe".

After a tiny break, they packed up and hit the flooded fields once again.

However, after an hour and a half, contact broke again with Fox.

Where they stopped, wasn't ideal.

A huge battle had taken place days ago and the bodies were left out to rot. Charlotte had never seen so much death in one place at the same time, it was haunting. Some of them weren't even soldiers, some were citizens, normal people who lived in the area.

Close to her, she saw something stuck in the mud.

Curiously, she reached out and picked it up.

It was a photograph of a small family.

Two parents and three small children.

Her stomach turned again, and she dropped the photo.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Charlotte looked up at Buck, who was standing next to her;

"sir?"

"Yeah?" He asked, looking down at her.

"I feel 'kinda queasy".

Buck sighed, no one was feeling great at the moment.

They had stopped next to a field, littered with death.

"You ain't the only one, goofy". Buck murmured softly.

"Lottie, with me". Winters ordered her quietly, who was with Nixon.

The pair of them seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Blinking a few times, Charlotte got onto her feet and followed the two officers to the front of the line, where 1st Platoon was.

"Did you send somebody?" Winters asked Welsh.

"Yeah, I got Hoobler and Blithe out there now".

"Why are we stopped?" Nixon questioned.

"This is about officers crapping out on their training, Nix". Winters mumbled, "come on, let's get this show on the road".

Charlotte followed the two officers into the nearby tree line, where Hoobler and Blithe had gone out to search for Fox Company. She was in the back, rifle at the ready. The woods were eerie, with yet again, many dead soldiers. The stench was just as bad inside the trees, as it was by the field. Sighing, she gave her stomach another rub;

"this is mad". She whispered, too herself.

"What is?" Nixon wondered, who was in front of her.

Shaking her head, Charlotte replied with;

"the smell, sir". Charlotte whispered, "it's all I'll remember when I'm old".

She suddenly gasped, when she spotted a shadow moving to their right.

Nixon and Winters both stepped towards the figure, who turned out to be Blithe.

And Blithe looked a little startled, by a dead German paratrooper propped up against a tree, with his eyes wide open. Even Charlotte was a little startled by the scene and let out another tiny gasp, when her eyes laid on him.

"He's dead, private". Nixon told Blithe.

"Did you find Fox Company?" Winters asked.

"Yes, sir". Blithe whispered, "I thought…I thought he had me". He said referring to the dead trooper.

"Fallshcirmjager". Said Nixon.

"Paratrooper?" Blithe looked back towards the German, his eyes staring at a little white flower, tucked neatly into the trooper's jacket pocket.

"Division thinks there's a Regiment of them holding Carentan". Nixon said.

"Well…that's one less to worry about". Winters mumbled.

Nixon soon noticed Blithe's curious stare;

"that's Edelweiss. That only grows in the Alps above the tree line. Which means he climbed up there to get it. It's supposed to be the mark of a true soldier".

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte looked back towards the German and soon noticed the white flower, which stood out in the dark and dull forest. Tilting her head to the side, her eyes softened slightly, while she admired the beauty of the dainty flower.

"Head back to Corporal Hoobler". Winters instructed Blithe, "we'll get the rest to follow".

"Yes, sir". Blithe responded quietly.

Giving him a tiny smile, Charlotte then looked up at the two officers.

"What?" Winters asked.

She shrugged, "just good to learn something new, eh?"

He snorted, "Edelweiss?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye, sir".

Winters sighed, "we should head back, we're wasting time".

"How come the officers crapped out on training, sir?" She wondered while they walked through the small forest again, "thought you's weren't allowed to do that?"

"I'm not sure, Lottie". Winters mumbled, "they probably thought they knew everything".

"Why'd they think that?" She frowned, "they haven't done this before".

Sighing, Winters then said;

"you ever heard of an ego, Lottie?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…that bloke who wanted to sleep with a horse mentioned that".

While Nixon laughed, Winters pulled a face;

"what – no, he didn't 'wanna do that". He said.

Charlotte shrugged, "then how come he says that?"

"He didn't, Lottie". Winters told her, "he was explaining how certain dreams could imply someone's deepest desires".

Nixon smirked, "Sigmund Freud, Lottie?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…he also had this weird obsession with his mum, eh?"

Running a hand down his face, Winters let out a tiny groan, while Nixon laughed again.

"Jesus, kiddo". Nixon said, "what'd they teach you at school?"

"I get it, sir". Charlotte said, "I just don't think everyone's like this Freud guy, who always tells us how we think when we dream". She shook her head, "he doesn't know us, eh? Not everyone wants to go to sleep with a horse and their mum – except maybe him".

Nixon coughed, "Jesus – Lottie, you're killing me here".

Blinking a few times, Winters gave his head a little shake;

"anyway". He said, "the ego…well, those officers thought they knew everything. Their egos got in the way of bettering their knowledge".

"Ah well". Charlotte sighed, "you know, when you've got your head up your arse, you can't see. You can only see shit".

Winters cracked a small smile and nodded;

"that's right, Lottie". He said, "but…how about you word that differently, huh?"

"I can't do that, sir". She mumbled, "I've spent too much time with my pals".

**…**

Just before six in the morning, the men of Easy waited for the signal to attack behind the crest of a hill. They were to attack from Route 803, which led up a downward slope, with ditches on either side of the road and from that road, they would enter the town. Together, they formed a slanted T-section, dominated by a hotel that sat straight ahead of them, looking down at Route 803. Houses and shops lined both sides of the streets.

Charlotte was behind Campbell, with Toye leading the squad.

Buck, of course, was leading the whole Platoon.

At exactly 0600, Winters sent Welsh and 1st Platoon off first.

Shortly followed by 2nd.

Running up the crest of the hill, Charlotte's boots crunched against the gravel and loose stones. Everyone's boots were crunching and stomping on the road. It was all she could hear for the first few moments. And when the Germans opened fire, shooting their MG-42 directly down the middle of the road and cutting Easy off, Charlotte wasn't aware at first.

"In the ditch!" Someone yelled, "down! Down!"

"Incoming!" Winters yelled.

Men went flying into the ditches, taking cover.

It was an utter disaster. The Germans had caught them off guard and for a few moments, nobody moved, and they remained in the ditches, where it was safe. Welsh had made it into the town and took cover behind a building, with Luz by his side. Several others had followed behind him but that was it, no one else made it into town. Welsh and his men were alone.

Charlotte had been pulled into a ditch by Campbell.

And he looked scared.

Everyone looked slightly terrified.

But not Winters.

He looked mad.

"Move!" He screamed, "move! Get out of that ditch! We have men getting killed out there!"

Winters was standing in the middle of the road, while bullets zipped over his head and pinged against his boots. He had turned into a mad man while trying to get his men up. And soon, Buck was joining him. At that point, Charlotte feared for their safety.

Grabbing onto Campbell, she gave his arm a tug;

"come on!" She yelled, "they've lost their minds – we've 'gotta go before they get shot!"

Charlotte was referring to Winters and Buck.

And she was a little surprised, to see Winters kicking some of his men out of the ditch.

"Are you insane?!" Campbell yelled, "Lottie – we're dead if we move-"

"come on, man!" She said, "we have to fucking go!"

Charlotte gave him another tug;

"here we fucking go, eh?!"

Shaking his head, Campbell sent her a tiny glare;

"if you get me killed – I'll fucking kill you, Lottie!"

Getting onto her feet, Charlotte jumped out of the ditch – with or without Campbell.

It was a whole different matter, standing in the middle of the road, while bullets flew her way. Charlotte felt a knock in her confidence and earlier courage. And her eyes widened when she realised how stupid this was.

That was until Winters said to her;

"good job! Get up the road, Lottie!"

Giving him a sharp nod, Charlotte sprinted up the road.

She made it into town, with Campbell behind her.

Taking cover behind a house to the right, Campbell, Hayes and Potter soon joined her.

At that point, Welsh had dropped a grenade into one of the snipers.

Which cleared the road for the men who were still in the ditches.

Licking her bottom lip, she then said;

"we should clear the houses, eh?"

The three of them nodded.

"Lottie, you come with me". Campbell said, "George, Harold – stick to the right".

Still not quite believing her luck, Charlotte followed Campbell towards a house.

First, he tossed in a grenade through the window, while she kicked the door down.

Entering the house, Charlotte and Campbell would shoot anyone inside.

Germans, of course, were hiding out in the houses, preparing their weapons to attack. But with all the pent-up adrenaline from their horrible night march, the men of Easy were ready to take this town and claim it for their own. But for the Germans who weren't inside the buildings, they were running across the marshy fields, trying to escape.

Charlotte and Campbell fired out towards the escaping Germans.

They knocked several down, with the help from Smokey and his assistant gunner.

The low rumble of incoming mortar shells suddenly brought Charlotte's attention away from the field. There, she could see the noise had rocked a nearby building. All too soon, she heard the cry;

"incoming!"

"They've got us zeroed in!" Lipton yelled, "spread it out! Spread it out!"

Grabbing onto her arm, Campbell and Charlotte started to run for cover.

A rain of mortar shells crashed into houses and buildings, sending bricks, debris and shrapnel everywhere. It sliced into skin, killed one man outright and wounded a lot of men, Tipper included. Charlotte and Campbell tried their hardest to avoid all hell which rained down on Easy. The Germans had the entire intersection zeroed in.

And they both suddenly stopped dead, when a shell took off a man's leg.

"Holy fuck!" Charlotte yelled, clearly a little panicked.

Campbell reached over to the man and hoisted him over his shoulders;

"get the hell off the streets, Lottie!" He told her, "go – run!"

Making her mad dash across the road, Charlotte hoped her friend would be okay.

Her boots pounded against the ground, while tiny bits of stone cut into her cheek and uniform. She was aiming for a wall, hoping to take cover there until the shelling stopped. Because mortar shells were terrifying, and Charlotte couldn't imagine the intense pain of getting hit.

But it wasn't a shell or a brick that hit her.

It was a body.

The man slammed into her, forcing Charlotte onto the ground, where she heard a sickening pop.

It turned out to be Lipton, who had been hit by shrapnel.

But all Charlotte could hear, was an intense amount of pain ringing out in her ears.

Eventually, she slid herself away from underneath Lipton.

The man looked pale and he was bleeding.

Charlotte at first, used her arms to sit herself up, which was a terrible idea.

Letting out a tiny scream, she fell onto her back.

"Lip!" She called out instead, "Lip – you alright, Lip?!"

There was a moment of silence.

Lipton was looking down at something, in pure terror.

"Uh – I don't-"

"Lip!"

Talbert was soon crouched in front of Lipton;

"hey, buddy".

Talbert followed his worried stare and ripped open his trousers, by the crotch area.

"You're okay, Lip!" He assured him, "everything's right where it should be!"

For a moment, a look of relief crossed Lipton's face.

Talbert then looked over at Charlotte;

"you alright, buddy?" He asked her, "you hurt?"

"Dislocated my shoulder". Charlotte replied.

She was sure of it.

Charlotte gave her left shoulder a gentle touch and flinched;

"aye – it's square…shoulders aren't supposed to be square".

"Alright, Lottie". Talbert said, "follow behind us, okay?"

Soon, Lipton was over Talbert shoulders.

Getting onto her feet, Charlotte followed the pair of them.

And she felt stupid, going to the aid station for dislocating her shoulder.

Charlotte figured; it was a sorry excuse for a wound.

But that all changed, when the building next to her exploded.

A brick came flying over to her and took her helmet clean off.

Charlotte thought she had just dodged a bullet, or a brick, in her case. But as soon as her head was exposed, another brick came flying towards her and this time, it smashed into the side of her head.

When the impact hit her, Charlotte's eyes went a little wide.

She stumbled and swayed from side to side.

Blinking, she tried to wash away the fading light.

"No…no". Charlotte moaned, "no – I don't 'wanna…".

She was so determined not to pass out, that Charlotte continued to take clumsy steps forward. Her right arm was swinging, trying to grab some balance back. Charlotte would have used her left arm too but that was unusable at the moment.

Charlotte could hear this annoying ringing in her ears, and it felt as though she was walking inside thick fog. It made her confused and slightly lost, while she stumbled down the streets of Carentan. Charlotte almost felt drunk but not the good kind of drunk. Not like dancing with Martin and joking around – this was a horrible feeling.

And, feeling a little frightened, Charlotte called out;

"Bill!" But she sounded slightly slurred.

Guarnere was with the mortar squad, however, doing what he did best.

He couldn't hear her tiny cries for help.

"Ah…shit". Charlotte mumbled, while her body bumped into a wall.

Letting out a tiny sigh, she leaned further into the wall.

Until eventually, Charlotte slid down and sat on the ground.

She was so out of it, that she didn't feel the blood trickle down the side of her face.

Things were beginning to look a little blurry.

And through her confused state, Charlotte wasn't aware that someone was crouched in front of her.

Until, he placed his hand on her left shoulder.

Eyes snapped opening, she cried out in pain;

"fuck!"

The hand was quickly gone from her shoulder;

"sorry, Lottie".

Blinking a few times, Charlotte could make out the man's face.

She sighed;

"alright, sir?"

Buck nodded, "yeah, we're fine, goofy". He said, "what's this, huh? You got a cut on your head. What's wrong with your shoulder?"

"Dislo…located".

Nodding slowly, Buck gave her a tight smile;

"okay, goofy – here's how it's 'gonna go, alright? You listening?"

Charlotte's head dropped to her chest, as if she was trying to nod.

"Yup". She mumbled.

"I'm 'gonna pick you up and carry you – how's that sound?"

Charlotte's right arm lifted, and it went onto his shoulder;

"sounds grand, sir".

Buck grabbed onto her waist and hoisted her up.

Charlotte let out tiny whimpers, when her shoulder was moved around.

"Ow…". She hissed.

"I know, goofy". Buck mumbled, while carrying her away from the street. "They'll pop your shoulder back into place in no time, huh?"

"My brain". Charlotte said lowly, "it's gone, eh?"

"Nah – it's still there, goofy". Buck assured her, "you've just got a little concussion is all. You'll be as right as rain soon enough, huh? Back to your old self again, cracking jokes with the boys and tossing that ball around".

It didn't appear that Charlotte heard any of that;

"I feel funny". She mumbled into his shoulder.

"I got knocked out once". Buck said to her, "it ain't pretty, huh?"

Charlotte let out a tiny whimper;

"oh, no". She mumbled.

Pulling a face, Buck looked at the head on his shoulder.

Charlotte's eyes were closed.

She had passed out.


	21. Chapter 20

When her eyes opened, they were inside the aid station.

Buck had opened the door with his foot;

"medic!" He called, "you've got another one!"

Charlotte groaned into his shoulder.

The Lieutenant looked at her and sighed in relief;

"thank God, you're awake". He said, "how you feeling, goofy?"

"Shit". She croaked, "like…like a bag of shit".

Buck huffed out a tiny laugh, "that bad, huh? Well, you're in good hands now, Lottie".

Carrying her further into the aid station, he then spotted Winters.

Winters was sitting on top of a table, while Roe cleaned up a small wound on his leg.

He had been hit by a piece of a bullet.

"Lottie?" Winters held a deep frown, "Christ – what happened?"

Buck sighed, "she's got a dislocated shoulder and a gash to the head".

He then asked;

"what have we got planned, chief?"

"Well, we expect a counterattack. Carentan is as important to them as it is to us".

"Any idea when?" Buck asked.

"We're not waiting to find out". Winters told him, eyes moving from Buck to Charlotte, "Battalion wants us to head east towards higher ground, set up a defensive position. With all the flooded fields, it's the only direction they'll approach from".

Nodding slowly, Buck then looked at Winters wound;

"yeah…you 'gonna be alright?"

Winters shrugged one shoulder;

"yeah".

Buck smiled, "good". He then looked at Roe, "doc, where'd you want, goofy?"

Roe looked at the girl;

"sit her up behind you, sir". He instructed her, "make sure she stays sitting up".

"Alright, doc – you hear that, goofy? No lying down".

"Alright". Charlotte mumbled into his shoulder.

Carefully, Buck placed her onto the bed.

She was sitting up, legs out in front of her.

Charlotte was leaning against a pillow, to keep her up right.

Her left arm sat limply across her stomach.

When Buck left her, Charlotte's eyes spotted Blithe, who was huddled up in the corner near her. With a tiny frown, she then noticed tears rolling down his cheeks, which broke her heart.

"What's wrong with Blithe?"

Charlotte heard Winters ask Roe.

"Well, nothing". The medic replied, "except he can't see".

Winters raised an eyebrow;

"he can't see?"

Roe shrugged, "so he says".

Charlotte then watched, while Winters hopped down from the table and limp towards his trooper. Once in front of Blithe, he crouched in front of him.

"Blithe? It's Lieutenant Winters. What happened?"

"I don't know, sir". Blithe croaked, voice thick with tears. "Well, things…they just 'kinda went black on me".

"What, you can't see?"

Blithe shook his head, "not a thing, sir".

Another tear rolled down his cheek.

"Well, you just take it easy, Blithe. I'm 'gonna get you 'outta here. Get you back to England".

Blithe took in a shuddering breath, lips quivering.

Winters hand went on his shoulder;

"it's 'gonna be okay". He assured him.

"Sir, I didn't 'wanna let anyone down". Blithe choked out.

"No, just take it easy". Winters said to him softly, "it's okay, son".

While feeling her heart melt, Charlotte then witnessed Blithe get onto his feet, claiming he was okay and could see again. He even wanted to join his Platoon. Despite his fear, a fear so strong, that caused him to go temporally blind, Blithe wanted to go back to his buddies and continue the fight.

Charlotte had never seen someone be so brave.

"How're you holding up, trooper?" Winters asked her.

The Lieutenant was back on the table, allowing Roe to bandage up his leg.

"Okay". She replied quietly, still feeling a little woozy and dizzy.

"I'll be with you in a minute, Gallagher". Roe told her, "you're used to this, huh? Dislocating things. Didn't you already dislocate your pinkie?"

Charlotte snorted;

"aye…but this is proper sore, doc". She told him, "my head hurts as well".

"Yeah, it will". He mumbled, while wrapping the white bandage around the Lieutenant. "It won't take long to put your shoulder back into place, Gallagher". Roe assured her, "just like last time. It's 'gonna hurt but you'll feel better when it ends".

Charlotte was already dreading it.

"Great". She said, with little to no emotion.

While Roe finished up bandaging Winters, Charlotte stared blankly ahead and tried not to vomit. She wasn't sure what was making her feel sick, the concussion, the pain or the nerves bubbling away in her stomach. It could have been a mixture of all three.

A hand was placed on her right shoulder.

Blinking out from her trance, Charlotte looked up and saw a warm smile from Winters;

"you 'gonna be alright?"

Charlotte pulled a slightly uncomfortable face.

Giving her a nod, Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze;

"alright – doc, let's get this over with".

Charlotte, like last time, would rather have someone beside her, while Roe popped her shoulder back into place.

"Alright, Gallagher". Roe said calmly, "lay your arm by your side".

Very slowly, Charlotte moved her arm away from her stomach.

It hurt, a lot.

Her face scrunched up in pain and a tiny whimper escaped her lips.

Arm now lying by her side, Roe took hold of her wrist with both hands;

"okay, petit, I'm 'gonna pull your arm now. I'll be as quick as I can, okay?"

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a deep breath.

But then opened her eyes and quickly said;

"what if I scream or something?" She asked, worried everyone would hear her.

"Don't worry about it". Winters told her, "we've all heard men scream by now, Lottie".

"Aye but – but it's proper embarrassing". Charlotte mumbled, shaking her head, "can't you just knock me out or something? They'll think I'm stupid screaming over a dislocated shoulder".

Sending her a smile, Roe shook his head;

"no, Gallagher. That would be adding to your head injury".

Charlotte grimaced;

"I feel proper sick".

"It's 'gonna be alright, petit". Roe assured her soothingly, "it's just a dislocation, huh? We'll sort your head out after".

Letting out a shaky breath, she nodded;

"aye, alright".

Charlotte bit down on her lip.

As soon as Roe pulled her arm out towards the side; Charlotte's eyes snapped open.

Instead of a scream, however, a tiny short gasp left her.

But it got worse, when he pulled her arm further up.

Coughing and trying to mask a scream, Charlotte soon heard a "pop".

And instant relief.

Sinking into the pillow, Charlotte sighed;

"wow…".

Smiling a little, Roe carefully set her shoulder back down by her side;

"okay, Gallagher?"

Charlotte gave him a tiny nod;

"aye, great – cheers, doc".

With her shoulder now back in place, Roe gave her head a quick clean.

The gash wasn't that deep and didn't require stitches.

Though, he did place a plaster over the small wound, to prevent infections.

And then came the questions;

"you feel dizzy or confused?"

"Not much anymore".

"Do you still feel nauseous?"

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder, "wee bit".

Roe bit his lip in thought;

"why don't you stay here for an hour? See how you feel after".

She agreed to rest for one hour;

"but 'am going back to my pals, doc".

Winters smiled and squeezed her shoulder;

"I'll let them know where you are, Lottie".

**…**

Sitting down and leaning against a wall, Charlotte tore into her ration pack.

She realised how hard it was to eat while out in combat. Her appetite seemed to vanish, leaving her feeling tired and ill. Charlotte could only manage a bite from a cracker, before washing it down with water from her canteen.

Liebgott sat down next to her, not saying a word.

Putting her canteen away, Charlotte looked at him.

He was staring blankly ahead, with dazed and glassy eyes.

Eventually, she had to ask;

"are you…you alright, Lieb?"

Charlotte continued to look up at him, head slightly tilted to the side.

Liebgott shrugged.

Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a carton of cigarettes.

Charlotte decided to do the same.

She lit up her own cigarette and the pair of them smoked, in silence, for a few moments. Until she broke the silence;

"Lip crashed right into me…I dislocated my shoulder". Charlotte said, "then…this house exploded, and I got hit on the head with a brick – was proper wild".

She had her helmet on her lap.

Exposing her plastered head.

And her messy hair.

Liebgott reached down and gave her hair a gentle ruffle;

"need to cut your hair again, kid". He said quietly.

With a tiny break in his voice.

Letting out a soft sigh, Liebgott's hand left her hair.

He faced the front again;

"I was there". Liebgott whispered, "when Tipper got hit – he was in a messed-up way, Lottie".

Charlotte frowned, "aye?"

He nodded, "yeah…I should have – I 'dunno…done more, I think but – fuck, that explosive happened so damn fast".

Shaking her head, Charlotte placed a quiet hand on his arm.

Liebgott looked back down at her.

She gave him a tiny smile;

"nah, Lieb". She said gently, "nah…you couldn't have done nothing, Lieb. But you helped him, eh? Tipper's 'gonna be fine because of you".

Charlotte could see his eyes begin to shine.

And she frowned a little;

"it's alright, Lieb". She mumbled, "eh? You don't have to feel bad 'bout this. Tipper doesn't blame you for anything".

Liebgott swallowed a lump in his throat;

"how do you know?" He croaked.

Charlotte shrugged, "cause…you're his pal. And pals don't let pals down, Lieb. You'd never let Tipper down".

Letting out a tiny sigh, Liebgott's arm went over her shoulders.

"You good, kid?" He asked her.

Charlotte nodded, "of course, Lieb".

After a few moments of sitting in silence, Charlotte asked;

"why did Alby go blind for a bit, Lieb?"

Liebgott shook his head, "well…I guess he got so scared, that his brain shut down".

"Shit". Charlotte whispered, "that can actually happen, eh?"

"Yup".

She then snorted;

"bet you horse shagger Freud didn't think of that one, eh?"

**…**

Walking through a field, east of Carentan, the men were in search for higher ground. They all expected a counterattack. And the men marched into the countryside, to form a protective perimeter. Easy was on the Divisions far right, their line ending at the railroad track with nothing but swampland beyond.

The men had only walked two miles outside of Carentan, approaching a hedgerow on the higher ground, when the Germans across the field suddenly fired out with a mortar shell and small firearms.

Very quickly, Winters deployed his men along the tangle of a hedgerow, just to their front.

Easy returned the fire but the Germans had the higher ground, giving them an excellent field of fire. Winters was running back and forth, keeping his men in order while they fired back. It was noisy, unexpected and intense. Charlotte was on her belly, firing out. She was avoiding getting hit, while trying to fire effectively.

The shelling had a moment of being too intense again, like back in Carentan.

Charlotte bit down on her lip and tried to focus on firing.

But it felt as though her body froze, even her hands stilled.

Staring down at the muddy grass below her, she could hear men yelling and crying out for a medic from all around. Limbs went flying in the air from the shells, bullets pinged into the mud, dirt flicking up and stinging her eyes. But Charlotte didn't even blink the mud away.

She was scared.

**…**

It had started to rain heavily when it got dark.

The men were dug inside foxholes, with a planned attack at 0530 hours in the morning.

Winters and Diel handed out rations, water and more ammo.

They had been supplied after their short attack from the Germans.

"You know what he told me?"

Guarnere was sitting next to Charlotte.

He happily ate his rations, talking to her in a light manner.

Charlotte shook her head;

"what'd he say?" She asked quietly.

Guarnere smirked;

"you're Laurel and I'm Hardy".

Charlotte huffed out a tiny laugh;

"those two guys who always end up doing stupid shit?"

Grinning, Guarnere nodded;

"the exact ones, Lottie". He sighed, "Buck knows us too well, huh?"

"Isn't Laurel the stupid one?"

Clearing his throat, Guarnere shrugged;

"well – Hardy's the smarter-"

"how come you get to be the clever one?" Charlotte grumbled, "I always end up being the dafty".

Rain tapped against helmets, which sounded like pouring bullets.

For it being June, Normandy was cold that night. The rain was like ice and the small breeze of wind cut into their faces and sent some of them shivering.

Guarnere shrugged, "just how it goes, Lottie".

Looking at her, he sighed;

"fucking Christ, Lottie…eat your damn food, huh?"

Charlotte shook her head, "not hungry".

"Not hungry". He repeated, sounding irritated. "I don't care, Lottie. If you don't eat, you'll get sick and you won't be fit to fight good and proper".

Wrapping her arms around herself, her riffle hugged into her chest.

Charlotte looked at her knees;

"Bill?"

Guarnere sighed, "oh, here we go". He mumbled.

Charlotte frowned, "fine…I won't say nothing".

Sighing again, Guarnere looked back at her;

"I'm kidding". He said, giving her side a gentle nudged, "what's going on, Lottie?"

"Do you – do you ever get scared out here?"

Chewing his food slowly, Guarnere then shook his head.

"Nope". He replied, "if I get scared, Lottie, then who's 'gonna lead you lot, huh?"

"I suppose". She whispered.

Raising an eyebrow, Guarnere asked her;

"are you scared, Lottie?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte shrugged.

Frowning a little, Guarnere tucked his ration pack away.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a poncho;

"we should try and keep warm". He said to her, "and get some shut eye".

Charlotte raised her eyes and looked up at him.

"I sort of miss…I 'dunno, something". She mumbled, "like, when dad died, I went straight to live with the Winters. It all happened so fast, eh? And after mum died, dad wanted us to move to America right after her funeral". Charlotte sighed, "I think I just miss a bed and that".

Guarnere's eyes softened;

"yeah, I miss a bed too, Lottie". He told her, "do you like living with the Winters?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…Mr and Mrs Winters are great, Bill". She said, "it's nice knowing I've got a place to call home, eh? Like, when I'm not in the army".

He nodded, "yeah, I understand you".

Clearing his throat, Guarnere then told her;

"you're not an accident, Lottie".

Charlotte blinked a few times, "how'd you mean?"

"You're mom – look, if you're blaming yourself for-"

"I 'dunno, Bill". She whispered, cutting him off, "I mean…I know she was pure sad after Stewart and John didn't come home but…why didn't she stick around for me, eh? Like, shouldn't mums do that? Shouldn't they 'wanna stick around for their kids and that?"

Charlotte frowned;

"maybe I'm just too stupid to understand".

Guarnere shook his head, "you ain't stupid, Lottie". He said to her, "you can be pretty fucking smart, you know. You get it, huh? Sometimes folk can't be happy again".

Her frown deepened;

"but…why?"

"I don't know, Lottie". He replied softly, "it ain't 'cause they aren't strong enough…I think they just get tired of feeling so sad, you understand?"

Charlotte nodded.

Guarnere placed the poncho over them, so it covered them up, protecting the two friends from the rain. The drops lightly tapped against the roof. It rested on his helmet, creating a small tent for them to sleep under. Charlotte leaned into his side, head resting below his chest. Her legs curled up, knees drawing up to her chest.

However, just as her eyes closed, the Germans from across the field began to sing.

Loudly.

And they sounded very annoying.

"Oh…_my_…God". Guarnere stressed, "the fuck?"

Charlotte sighed;

"typical, eh?"

"Fucking bastards". He muttered, "don't they know we're fighting tomorrow?"

"They're probably drunk". Charlotte mumbled.

Easy had an eventually night.

A squad of drunk Germans fired out into their line.

They didn't hit anyone, but it gave the men a fright.

Then, later on, Talbert got bayonetted by Smith, who thought the Sargent was a German.

Easy didn't sleep well that night.

**…**

Come the next morning, Charlotte and easy were awake at first sunlight.

There, they sat in their holes and got ready for the scheduled attack at 0530 hours.

"Come with me, Lottie". Guarnere said, "we're 'gonna figure out the plan of action".

Raising an eyebrow, she shouldered her rifle and got up;

"aye? Me? A wee dumb Private?"

Smirking, Guarnere nudged her side, "that's right, Lottie".

Buck gave the Sargent's and Charlotte the plan of action;

"Dog and Fox Companies will be on our left flank". He told them. "We'll have our mortars set up behind the field and our machine-guns will take the hot spots, while the rest of us move up. This is hedgerow to hedgerow fighting, it ain't 'gonna be easy. They have the higher ground and we're attacking a bunch of damn paratroopers – alright, any questions?"

They all shook their heads.

All except Charlotte.

Raising her hand slightly, she asked;

"you want us in front of the hedgerow?"

Looking at her, Buck nodded;

"sure do, goofy". He told her, "how else are we 'gonna defeat the Huns?"

"That's offensive". She mumbled, "my dad would have hit the roof".

"Ah, goofy". Buck smiled, "you sure brighten a battle mood".

Toye frowned, "why would your dad care?"

Charlotte shrugged, "something about the football team he used to support…I don't fucking know, man. Makes no sense to me".

"So, the enemy team would call your dad's team a Hun?"

She nodded, "aye – that's about it".

"Was his team German?" Toye wondered.

Charlotte shook her head, "nah".

"That makes no fucking sense". He said, with another tiny frown.

She agreed, "I know it's-"

"anyway". Buck cut them both off, "best get ready, huh?"

Just as he said that, there came a familiar whoosh.

"MORTAR!" Someone screamed.

Soon, everyone dove for cover.

But not for long;

"GET IN POSITION!" Buck ordered, "GURNO, GET THOSE MORTARS READY!"

Toye soon had his squad together, where he had to drag them in front of the hedge, to begin shooting. It was terrifying but Toye yelling, might have been scarier. The Germans were dropping round after round of shells into their line. Men cried for medics, while Platoon leaders and Sargent's got their men in order.

While out in the field and on her belly, Charlotte shot what silhouettes she could see.

The Germans would run back and forth, showing their shinny helmets off.

Charlotte and Campbell managed to get by the crest of the hill, where they took a few shots.

But that plan of action was cut short, when the Germans changed their direction of fire towards the men spread out by the crest of the hill. Charlotte still tried to fire, despite the explosions going on around her. She was scared to move, worried the next one would hit her. Campbell seemed to be the more sensible one out of the pair at that moment;

"Lottie – we 'gotta go!"

"Fuck that!" Charlotte yelled, while firing her rifle, "I'll get hit!"

"You'll get hit here, you idiot!" He told her, "come on! Let's go!"

"GET OVER HERE!" They heard Liebgott yell, "I CAN'T FIRE THIS THING!"

Grabbing onto her arm, Campbell dragged Charlotte onto her feet.

Liebgott and his assistant gunner were prepared to fire out their machine-gun but couldn't do a lot, while men were still running from the field and back to the hedgerow.

Standing now, Charlotte's eyes went a little wide;

"we're 'gonna get hit!"

Campbell had a tight grip on her arm, "let's run!"

"Aye – good idea!"

Running back towards cover was a scary moment for Charlotte.

Shells were chasing them, each explosion sounded closer than the last.

With her heart in her throat, Charlotte jumped over a tree trunk and fell into a foxhole. Campbell was right behind her, though managed to avoid falling into the hole. Buck, who was close to her, reached down and helped her up;

"this is why you're Laurel, goofy!"

Shaking her head, she grabbed her rifle and got out of the foxhole.

Buck gave her arm a clap;

"back into position! Shoot those bastards!"

Charlotte reached the front, got on her stomach and began to fire out once again.

All she could hear for a moment was Winters, who was yelling for everyone to keep firing. It was enough encouragement for Charlotte to shoot with every breath she took. Finding targets could be hard, she wasn't sure if she actually hit anything.

Charlotte decided to find a better position.

She couldn't see much from where she was.

Moving back from the front of the line, Charlotte then got onto her feet.

When the mortars crashed into their line, the earth would rattle and shake. She ended up falling onto her knees a few times, allowing herself to be unsteady for a few seconds, before picking herself back up and moving down the line for a better position.

And that's when she heard a scream, among the rain of mortar shells.

It sounded as though someone was in pain, like a deep agony.

The scream turned her blood cold.

Charlotte tried to find the source, but she couldn't see where it was coming from.

The screams continued as if permanently ringing inside of her head.

And she tried to search for the man, who sounded like he desperately needed help. Biting her lower lip, Charlotte's head and eyes moved around her surrounding area. She even held her breath, just so she could focus fully on the scream.

"Lottie!"

Came the sound of Winters voice, while he ran towards her.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He demanded when he reached her side. "Will you move and take cover!"

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Charlotte looked up at him;

"sir, do you hear that?!"

Pulling a face, Winters continued to crouch down;

"what?!"

"Someone's screaming!" She told him, "I can hear him!"

Winters couldn't hear a scream and he didn't have time to search for one;

"Lottie – back in position!" He ordered her, "now, Private!"

"NO!" Came that same scream, which Winters could clearly hear that time.

Turning her head in the direction, Charlotte soon ran towards the scream.

Finally, she found who it belonged to.

It was Blithe.

He was hidden in a foxhole uninjured.

Frowning, Charlotte jumped into the hole;

"Alby?!" She called out, "are you hurt?!"

When his blue eyes met hers, they were filled with tears and terror.

Blithe shook his head, while tears spilt down his cheeks.

Kneeling in front of him, Charlotte grabbed his hand;

"come on, man!" She encouraged, "we can do it, eh?! It's not so bad!"

It seemed the Germans had heard Charlotte make that comment, for tanks rolled into the field. And they blasted their left flank, causing Dog and Fox Company to fall-back. When that cannon blasted, Charlotte ducked her head, while Blithe let out another scream.

Lifting her head, she looked back at him.

His hands covered his ears, while he screamed.

Frowning, she grabbed his hands;

"Alby!" Charlotte called out, "it's okay! Come on! Pick up your rifle and let's shoot these fucking looney's!"

Grabbing his rifle, Charlotte shoved it into his chest;

"Alby!" She called out again.

Blithe opened his eyes, staring back at her.

Giving him a sharp nod, Charlotte said;

"alright! Come on, Alby!"

Winters was by the foxhole, firing out.

He kept a close eye on the pair of them.

"Pour it at 'em Blithe!" Their Lieutenant yelled.

Charlotte and Blithe both looked up at him.

"On your feet soldier!"

Blinking, Blithe took hold of his rifle.

"That's right, Blithe!" Winters encouraged, "you can do it!"

With their Lieutenant's encouragement, Blithe began to fire out his weapon.

And Winters left, knowing Charlotte would keep an eye on him for the time being.

After putting in another round, she faced the front again.

Blithe was firing with each breath. He didn't stop.

Another tense moment stood out for Easy, when Welsh and McGrath walked into the field with a bazooka, to take out one of the tanks which threatened to break through their flank. The first rocket missed the tank but the second crashed into the underbelly of the tank, once it was exposed to them.

At around four in the afternoon, Easy was relieved to see the sight of their own tanks from the 2nd Armoured Division. While the men of Easy celebrated and watched the Shermans blast the German tanks away, Blithe fell back into the foxhole and closed his eyes.

Looking away from the scene, she stared at Blithe.

Charlotte smiled a little;

"you're missing the best show, Alby!"

A tiny smile reached his lips.

"I did it, Lottie!"

Charlotte sat down next to his head;

"aye, you did!" She said, over the roar of tanks. "I reckon you should get yourself that Edelweiss flower!"

It was a long and hard battle.

Charlotte ended up lying next to Blithe.

And closed her eyes, just for a moment's peace.

Despite the tank battle going on behind her.


	22. Chapter 21

After a five-day rest in Carentan, the men were back out on the front line again.

They spend the next three weeks investigating and testing the enemy lines, which Battalion often asked for. They needed to know the strength of the enemy and Easy were proud to state, that they did a lot of "testing the lines". Unfortunately, during that time, Toye was pulled off the line when his injured hand from the jump, was turning a sickening shade of green. It left Campbell in charge of the squad, with Kiehn as his assistant. Charlotte didn't volunteer for anything, Guarnere had taught her that, and she wasn't about to volunteer to take over the squad while Toye got better.

Charlotte and the men were in desperate need of a shower.

However, every morning, Charlotte would wash her face with rainwater. She didn't like the feeling of dry mud left on her skin; it made her shudder. But besides from the rainwater or puddles, they couldn't completely wash themselves. The men needed soap, hot water and perhaps, a nice bed to sleep on. With blankets and fluffy pillows.

A hot meal wouldn't go amiss either.

But in order for those luxurious things to greet the men, they had to finish holding the line.

Battalion wanted to know the ins and outs of every possible German position. Whether it was houses, hedgerows, trees, or like most cases, farmhouses. It started it off with small scouts, until things would get hairy and they called in for more men. Because Guarnere had told Charlotte not to volunteer, she didn't, until one day, she did. By complete accident, of course. She didn't mean to volunteer, it just sort of happened.

That's the excuse she gave to Guarnere, anyway.

But the man wasn't hearing her excuses;

"you idiot". He scolded, "why don't you listen to a word I say?"

"I do, Bill". Charlotte responded softly, "I just didn't five minutes ago".

"Why?" He demanded.

She shrugged, "I don't know".

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I don't know". Charlotte stressed, "you're not 'gonna find a deep answer, Bill. I just don't know, you know?"

Guarnere sighed;

"Jesus, help me – look, you know you're leading this thing, right?"

Charlotte's eyes widened a little, "shit…I didn't know that, Bill".

Not being able to help himself, Guarnere gave her arm a gentle shove;

"dammit, Lottie…why'd you open your damn mouth, huh? Now look what's happened!"

Charlotte shook her head, "look, man…I'm sure – well, it might be alright, eh?"

Sighing again, Guarnere looked her up and down.

"Pick a point man. Stay alert. And don't fuck this up".

Charlotte didn't have to look very far for a few volunteers.

Her loyal drinking buddy Martin decided to go along with her.

As well as Dukeman and Blithe.

Though, she did send a tiny glare towards the men in her squad;

"how come you's didn't volunteer?"

"A daylight scouting mission?" Campbell mumbled, "are you 'outta your damn mind?"

"Sorry, Lottie". Potter said, sounding the sincerest. "But it's just God's Will, that we don't come along. I hope you understand".

Staring at him for a moment, Charlotte said;

"man…I'm trying". She mumbled.

Sighing, Charlotte faced the men who had volunteered to go with her.

"Who's lead scout, then?"

Blithe immediately volunteered;

"I'll do it". He said, sounding confident.

Charlotte smiled up at him, "grand…I'll go behind you. Bud, you're on my right, Johnny, take the rear". She then added, "if…if that's alright with you's?"

"Sounds great, Lottie". Martin said, giving her a friendly wink.

Rubbing her hands together, Charlotte told them the plan;

"we have to check out this farmhouse, which might be an OP. If we hit something hairy, let's get the hell out of there. We're testing the strength, once again – got it?"

"Yup". Dukeman said, "just like any other old scouting hunt, huh?"

"Aye, so…let's be pure quiet and go behind the hedgerows. When we reach the one closest to the farmhouse, Alby, you'll give us the signal to move up". She said, "you know, if you're not seeing anything, eh? If we see some shit – we'll see how many Krauts are in that OP before we jump the gun".

With the plan set in place, the scouting mission moved out from the line.

Going behind the hedgerows, they moved slowly towards the farmhouse.

Stepping over twisted, thick and prickly roots, Charlotte pulled her leg free from natures greedy grasp. Nearing the farmhouse, Charlotte, Dukeman and Martin got down, while Blithe moved further up. He reached the last hedgerow, the one closest to the farmhouse.

Sitting up, just a little, he looked over the edge.

Blithe didn't see anything.

So, he turned towards the other three, held up his hand and-

_** Bang! **_

One-shot was fired out, cutting through the silence like a sharp knife.

Blithe fell down, when the bullet struck his neck.

"Fuck". Charlotte cursed. "Covering fire!"

Martin and Dukeman provided covering fire, aiming towards the top window in the farmhouse, while Charlotte moved towards their injured friend. Once by his side, she quickly located the wound and grab herself a bandage from his aid kit;

"okay, Alby?" She asked him, while wrapping the bandage around his neck, "nice wound, eh? You're alright".

Blithe stared blankly at her, appearing very calm.

It was almost as though he had accepted that shot.

And that death was only just around each corner for a soldier.

Moving behind him, Charlotte grabbed his shirt collar and began pulling Blithe back towards Dukeman and Martin. All too soon, a collection of firearms could be heard. More from 1st Platoon had joined the mini-battle, led by Welsh. Martin and Dukeman helped drag Blithe back, seeing as Charlotte was only small and looked to be struggling. The covering fire worked, however, and soon enough, Welsh was yelling;

"cease fire! Cease fire!"

"Medic!" Charlotte yelled, "we need a medic!"

When they reached 1st Platoon, Roe soon arrived.

Clearing a space, the medic got Blithe's wound taken care of, before they transported him to the aid station.

"What happened?" Winters asked, who had arrived with Nixon.

Looking at him, Charlotte replied;

"sniper, sir".

Her eyes then landed back down to Blithe.

She grabbed his hand and gave him a tight smile;

"you're pure calm, Alby". She mumbled softly, "I'd be proper screaming".

Charlotte felt a led of guilt land in the pit of her stomach, for whatever reason. She had led the scouting mission, hoping for the best results. She didn't expect anyone to get hurt because she had never led anything in her life before.

"They're pulling us off the line". She heard Winters say.

"Now?" Nixon asked, slightly shocked.

"To a field camp, north of Utah beach". Winters replied, "hot showers, hot food. Then back to England".

Blithe was soon carefully placed on a stretcher.

But before he was carried away, Charlotte noticed the Edelweiss tucked into his front jacket pocket. A tiny smile reached her lips;

"you earned that, Ably". She told him.

Blithe managed to give her the smallest of smiles in return before the medics carefully carried him away and onto a jeep. Sighing quietly, Charlotte wiped her friend's blood onto her trousers and made her way back towards Winters and Nixon.

Charlotte watched the jeep drive off.

She felt a hand on her shoulder;

"good job, Lottie". Winters mumbled.

Charlotte didn't want to lead another scouting mission again.

**…**

Charlotte found herself on another scouting mission.

Though, it was completely harmless and different from the last. She was with Alton Moore, a man from their Platoon and one of Malarkey's good friends. Moore, like Martin, had this special and useful talent, where they could get anyone anything they needed. And, while in the field camp, Moore and found a way of getting into the main supply depot, near Utah.

He needed someone small enough to slide through a gap to unlock the door.

And Moore could only think of Charlotte.

With a burlap sack each, looking like old-fashioned thieves, the pair of them snuck out of camp that same day which they had arrived and crept along the road. Charlotte had a little giggle to herself, while tiptoeing behind Moore. They must have looked like a pair of idiots. But it was the most she had smiled, since dropping into Normandy.

When they reached the storage unit, Charlotte slid under the gap between the large doors.

Entering the space, she could see many crates and jars of food.

Feeling her mouth water, Charlotte picked up a can of peaches.

Her stomach growled.

She could have opened the can up and shoved the whole of its contents into her mouth.

"Hey!" Moore hissed, giving the door a knock, "let me in, huh? You're a terrible thief".

Putting the can back down, she walked towards the door.

After unlocking it, Charlotte pulled the door up.

She grinned;

"aye but…I've been to jail. Have you?"

Snorting out a laugh, Moore entered the unit.

He sighed;

"come on…let's get these sacks packed".

"Like Santa?" Charlotte joked, while putting in cans of peaches and other fruit.

Moore grinned, "exactly, kid…just like Santa".

He then added;

"hate to tell you this, kid…but Old Saint Nick ain't real".

Charlotte snorted;

"I know that". She mumbled. "I'm nineteen, almost twenty".

"Oh, don't I feel old". Moore mumbled, "hey – I'm 'gonna take these crates. You okay with the sack, Lottie?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…that's fine, Moore".

With a sack full of canned goods and two crates, Charlotte and Moore walked back into camp, with large smug smiles. She did feel like Santa, handing out delicious treats for the men. Winters, Welsh and Buck were more than pleased to see an extra treat waiting for them.

"Dig in, sirs". She said to them, "they look well tasty, eh?"

"Sure do, goofy". Buck grinned, holding up a can of fruit cocktail. "Sit down, goofy. Enjoy this moment with us, huh?"

Smiling, Charlotte sat herself down on the bottom step and picked up a can of pineapple.

When that can was opened, she gobbled the entire thing down quickly.

Drinking the sweet juice, while she chewed on delicious chunks of pineapple.

It was glorious, Charlotte felt like a new woman.

Winters watched her guzzle that food down, with a hint of amusement.

He decided to take it slowly, knowing his stomach wasn't used to such rich food, after being deprived of it since England. But that didn't seem to cross Charlotte's mind, who then reached for a can of fruit cocktail. And, just like the can of pineapples, she finished her second can just as quickly.

A smile lifted her face.

However, it didn't stay on her face for much longer.

Her stomach started to hurt.

Charlotte frowned, wondering why fruit would do that to her.

Picking up the can, she gave it a little sniff.

Buck, who was sitting next to her, laughed;

"what the hell are you doing, goofy?"

Charlotte continued to frown, "the fruit hurt my stomach…how's that?"

Winters cleared his throat, "probably because you ate too fast, Lottie".

"Ah…". She said, stretching that word out. "You're probably right, sir".

Welsh finished off his fruit cocktail;

"Moore is a genius for finding the supply unit". He commented, "you two make a good team, Lottie".

Winters didn't look very happy at that compliment;

"let's make that a one-time thing, Lottie, alright?"

Buck put his empty can to the side;

"when are we leaving for England, chief?"

"Should be on the 10th of July". Winters replied, "if not, earlier".

He then added;

"the portable showers will arrive shortly. Harry, Buck, collect all the men's uniform and hand them straight to me, I found a laundromat in town. The men can wear their PT gear for the time being".

Buck pulled a face;

"we didn't pack those, Dick".

"No, we didn't". Winters said, "but, we have a pile of PT clothes we can use until our uniforms are cleaned".

"And pressed?" Charlotte chanced.

The Lieutenant snorted, "no, Lottie…you're 'gonna have to do that yourself".

She felt another sharp pain in her stomach, which had her bending over.

Charlotte groaned and leaned against the railings.

"What's the matter?" Buck asked, "you're that bummed about pressing a uniform, goofy?"

Shaking her head, she replied;

"my stomach pure hurts".

"Well, go lie down". Winters suggested, "and rest for a bit".

"Dick? I'll start collecting the uniforms". Welsh offered, while getting onto his feet, "Buck? You 'wanna help a guy out here?"

"Yup". Buck got onto his feet, "I'll grab the PT gear".

When the two officers left, Winters looked down at Charlotte;

"Lottie? You 'gonna rest for a bit?"

Sighing, her hand went on her stomach;

"aye…just can't get up".

A tiny smile reached his lips, from being slightly amused.

"You shouldn't have eaten so fast". He told her.

Charlotte closed her eyes;

"I know". She mumbled, "I'm a dafty".

"Nah…you just got too excited". Winters shrugged, "first time we've seen good food in a while, trooper. I don't blame you for going all out".

A moment of silence went by.

Charlotte was lost in her own thoughts.

And eventually, put them into words;

"sir?"

"Yeah?" He asked, staring out in front of him.

"How the hell did I survive all that?"

Winters slowly shook his head;

"I ask myself the same question, trooper". He mumbled.

Charlotte thought back to jumping out of that plane, landing in unfamiliar grounds and just by luck, bumping into Winters and Hall. That night felt like a lifetime ago. And during those days, Charlotte had grown in confidence, especially within herself. She trusted each and every man in Easy, but it was just herself, which she had to trust.

She wasn't the brightest flower of the bunch.

But, little did she know, she had brightened a lot of downright hard moments.

Smiling, Winters placed a hand on her shoulder;

"you're a good kid, Lottie". He said to her, "and a great soldier. You should all be proud of yourselves".

Looking up at him, Charlotte smiled a little;

"aye, well – we're lucky to have a smashing leader, like yourself, sir".

She then added;

"one day, they'll all be thanking you, sir". She said, "for getting them through this bloody war. And all those parents, they'll be writing to you as well". Charlotte cleared her throat, "but mines won't so…I think dad would be proper chuffed with you, sir. And I bet, he's chuffed that I'm staying with you as well, eh? Cause I'm in safe hands and all".

Winters smiled softened.

Nodding, he squeezed her shoulder;

"thanks for that, Lottie".

She smiled back;

"aye, it's alright, sir".

After a few moments of basking in the silence, a peaceful silence, with no gunfire or mortars, Winters smile slowly left his face. And he turned to look down at Charlotte, who looked less pale and more comfortable now.

"Lottie?"

Charlotte looked back up at him.

The smile soon fell from her face.

"What?" She whispered, dreading what he had to tell her.

Winters sat down next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder;

"I got a report today…which most of the men will be hearing about shortly but I thought it best, you hear it from me first".

Charlotte tried to prepare herself for the news to come.

It was going to be bad news; she could already tell.

"Some witnesses saw – well, they saw…". Winters took in a deep breath.

While Charlotte's eyes searched his.

He cleared his throat, "they saw Meehan's plane take an antiaircraft hit and roll to the right. They lost altitude and well…they struck a hedgerow and the plane". Frowning, Winters shook his head, "I'm sorry, Lottie…they didn't make it".

This heart-breaking sad frown reached Charlotte's face.

When all she could think about was Moe and Bloser.

But especially Moe.

Her first friend in Toccoa, in Easy.

Who had Nancy back at home, waiting for him.

Who was always so kind and thoughtful.

Tears reached her eyes, shining brightly from the setting sun.

Closing her eyes, she bowed her head.

"Oh". Charlotte mumbled thickly.

Winters gave her shoulder a squeeze;

"I'm sorry, Lottie". He said, in that same soft and dejected voice.

It felt like her heart was sinking into her stomach.

Charlotte sniffed and tried to be discreet.

But Winters wasn't an idiot.

"He was a good friend to you, Lottie". Winters said to her softly, "and a great man".

Charlotte nodded.

But she couldn't speak around the lump in her throat.

Looking up, she gave him a sharp nod;

"I'm 'gonna – I have to go".

Nodding, Winters let go of her shoulder;

"alright, trooper".

Getting onto her feet, she sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

Turning around, Charlotte faced Winters again;

"he never let me down". She croaked, "none of them did".

Eyes softening, Winters nodded and stood up.

"That's hard, sir". Charlotte said, voice breaking, "in these days…people always let you down but you's haven't – they didn't. I hope…I hope I never let them down, sir. Cause they're my pals". She said, voice thick with tears, "and pals don't let pals down – not ever".

Winters felt his own eyes sting a little.

She cleared her throat;

"and now…we've just 'gotta end the war, cause if we don't win – then…then why'd they have to die?" Charlotte's face crumbled, "it's so shit, sir".

Nodding, he stepped forward;

"I know, Lottie". Winters murmured.

Biting down on her trembling lip, she then ran a hand down her face.

Winters hand was back on her shoulder;

"alright there, Lottie?"

When her hand left her face, Charlotte let out a shaky sigh;

"aye, sir". She whispered, "just have to be, eh?"

He watched her carefully, with a deep frown set in place.

Charlotte felt one tear roll down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

Clearing her throat, she looked down at her boots.

Winters arm then went around her shoulder;

"we'll remember them forever, Lottie".

That sad frown was back on her face again, while she slowly leaned into his side.

"And one day". Winters said quietly, "the whole world, will remember them with us".

Sniffing softly, Charlotte's nodded.

Winters gave her arm a rub;

"that's something real special, Lottie. Knowing that our friends will always be remembered".


	23. Chapter 22

_ "I know you've just come off a long, difficult time, but that doesn't mean you can go to London and act like fools. Remember you are paratroopers and be proud of the uniform you are wearing. Keep your feet on the ground, stay out of trouble and don't embarrass yourselves or the Company. You represent the best of the United States army, so, act like it". _

_ Charlotte wondered if Winters warning fell onto deaf ears. _

**…**

In a hazy, confused and groggy state, Charlotte's eyes opened.

The shape beside her was extremely blurry.

And the surface below her was hard, wooden-like and rough.

Charlotte could taste every single alcoholic beverage she had consumed in her mouth. As well as that, she could smell an old bag of chips, from the fish and chip shop. It was lying somewhere in the room, stinking out the entire place. In Charlotte's current hungover state, her stomach simply rebelled against the smell.

Her ears picked up the sound of someone snoring.

The sound hurt her already sore head, because they were coming from nearby.

Through her slightly blurry eyes, she could make out the blurred shape beside her moving. It was alive and breathing. Frowning a little, Charlotte reached out and gave the blurred shape a poke with her finger. It was squidgy and soft. The shape let out a tiny groan in protest, before turning onto its side.

By that point, Charlotte concluded the shape to be another person.

Who was lying right next to her, on the wooden floor.

Inside this warm, smelly and strange room.

Charlotte decided she had better investigate further.

But first, she had to rub the sleep out from her eyes.

Sitting up, Charlotte did just that.

However, an arm soon wrapped around her waist;

"I hope you're not leaving-"

"the fuck are you?!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Eyes clear, she looked down and saw a woman sleeping next to her.

She looked to be in her early twenties.

And she was extremely curvy.

Charlotte soon pulled an approved frown.

She nodded slowly;

"never mind". Charlotte croaked, "but eh…what happened last night?"

The blond bombshell opened her eyes and smiled, showing off pearly white teeth behind stained red lips. Charlotte had to rub her eyes again, because women like her, didn't exist.

Charlotte then asked;

"where did I find you?"

The woman continued to smile;

"oh, sweetie…you paid for me".

Charlotte frowned;

"what?"

"But…I gave you half price, seeing as you didn't require all of my services".

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte nodded.

"Okay…". She replied slowly, "so…is all my money gone?"

She giggled, "no, don't worry, sweetie. But we had fun, I enjoyed myself. Did you?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte nodded;

"I'm sure I did". She mumbled, still looking mildly confused.

The woman then sighed, "you have to thank big Billie for me, sweetie".

Charlotte's face dropped;

"big Billie, eh?"

The woman nodded, "yup – he set us up, sweetie. He even gave us this room".

Sighing, Charlotte ran a hand down her face;

"fucking hell". She mumbled, "so, where is big Billie?"

"Next door, I think". She replied, "he's with my friends".

Charlotte's eyes widened a little;

"friends?"

The woman giggled, "big Billie is very greedy".

More clues from last night soon greeted Charlotte, when she looked at her arm.

Eyes widening, Charlotte yelped and got onto her feet.

The woman smiled;

"oh…you don't remember, sweetie?"

"I have a tattoo?!" Charlotte exclaimed, rubbing the ink furiously.

Shaking her head, Charlotte said;

"shit…it's fucking real".

"Of course, sweetie". The woman told her, "big Billie wanted you and Johnny to get one with him".

Charlotte let out a tiny laugh;

"I'm 'gonna fucking kill him".

Sitting up, the woman took her arm;

"I think it's nice". She complimented, "I mean…it's a little different but…it's sweet".

Charlotte shook her head;

"no…no…it's not fucking sweet!" She exclaimed.

The woman rolled her eyes, "calm down". She said, "everyone likes dogs".

"I got fucking Goofy!" Charlotte yelled, still in a state of shock, "Goofy! That mouse's friend. Goofy!"

She then said;

"I'm not even sure if it is a dog…what the hell is a goofy?"

"Oh, he's a dog". The woman told her, "he just looks a little different".

Charlotte looked at her;

"what did Bill and Johnny get?"

"A paratrooper". She replied, "you know, like a guy coming down with his chute".

Charlotte's face dropped;

"why didn't I get that too?"

The woman shrugged, "you wanted Goofy".

"Why the hell did I want that?!"

The woman rolled her eyes and sighed;

"because…you told us, that Goofy meant a great deal to you. That you were both-"

"kindred spirits". Charlotte whispered, cutting her off.

She blinked a few times;

"I hate drunk me, she's a fucking idiot".

The woman winked;

"I like drunk you…we had a great time".

Charlotte and the woman had breakfast that morning inside the Red Cross building.

And, after seeing the woman to a bus stop, Charlotte marched back into the Red Cross and knocked on "Big Billie's" room. When he didn't answer, she barged inside and saw three heads pop up, none of them belonging to Guarnere. The three women all looked Charlotte's way. She cleared her throat;

"eh…you's hungry?"

One of them shrugged;

"I could eat".

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out some money;

"get some food. I'll tell Bill".

One of them frowned, "who's Bill?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte sighed;

"right, of course…eh, I'll let big Billie know".

When the women were dressed, they headed down the stairs for some breakfast.

Guarnere was lying in his bed, a large grin on his face.

He was awake but kept his eyes closed.

"What a night, Lottie".

Charlotte walked towards him, Guarnere continued to say;

"three broads…all calling me big Billie. I felt like a damn king".

When she reached the bed, Charlotte picked up a pillow and smacked him with it.

"What the fuck?!" Guarnere exclaimed.

"A Goofy tattoo?!" Charlotte yelled, "you let drunk me, get a fucking dog on her arm, Bill?! What the fuck?!"

However, Guarnere looked a little confused.

Charlotte dropped the pillow and sat on the edge of the bed.

"What?" He asked, "what'd you mean?"

Sighing, Charlotte reached under the covers and pulled out his arm.

"Look – see your tattoo?"

Guarnere's eyes moved towards his new ink.

"The hell…". He mumbled, clearly surprised. "We got-"

Suddenly, the door swung up and Martin walked inside.

He was shirtless, exposing his brand-new tattoo.

"I got a fucking tattoo?!" He exclaimed, while slamming the door shut.

Guarnere cleared his throat;

"we all got tattoos, Johnny".

Walking towards them, Martin looked at his tattoo and then at Guarnere's.

He pulled a face;

"we got matching tattoos?" He mumbled, "ain't that a little…weird?"

Guarnere shrugged, "no idea".

Martin seemed to calm down a little.

He then looked at Charlotte;

"where's yours?"

Guarnere grinned, "yeah…let's see it, Lottie".

Groaning, Charlotte rolled up her sleeve and exposed her Goofy tattoo.

Of course, her friends burst out into a fit of laughter.

Sighing, Charlotte pulled her sleeve back down;

"Edinburgh can get to fuck". She said, "we got too fucking drunk here".

But they weren't listening.

They were too busy laughing.

And eventually, Charlotte joined in with their laughter.

When Easy arrived back in Aldbourne, they were all given a week's furlough. All dressed in new uniforms and decked out in their medals and ribbons, the men hit the city. While most went to London, Guarnere, Martin and Charlotte decided to spend a few days in Edinburgh. They got drunk, too drunk and made strange decisions. But they had a lot of fun, either way.

Charlotte decided to head back to Aldbourne after Edinburgh.

Conditions had upgraded since returning. Now, the men slept in stables and had a six-man block, giving them much-needed privacy. The men who had been wounded in Normandy were beginning to return when Charlotte arrived back into the sleepy village. The first person she saw was Lipton, who was looking around the stable block.

He seemed a little lost.

Charlotte smiled;

"alright there, Lip?"

Turning around, the Sargent grinned;

"Lottie!"

To her surprise, Lipton pulled her into a tight hug;

"God…it's good to see a familiar face again". He said happily.

When the hug ended, Charlotte looked up at him;

"you look good, Lip…you feeling better?"

Lipton nodded, "I feel great, buddy. Look – I'm sorry for crashing into you".

Charlotte smiled and shook her head;

"don't worry, man. You don't have to apologise. I'm just glad you're back with us. Have you seen Winters?"

"Not yet". Lipton replied, "was on my way to see him actually…you 'wanna come with me?"

"Aye, sounds great".

Smiling, Lipton tossed his arm around her shoulders, while they walked out of the stables.

"So…where'd you come from?"

"Edinburgh". Charlotte replied, "was with Bill and Johnny but they decided to meet the men in London".

"I'm thinking of heading to Edinburgh". Lipton said, "is it any good?"

She nodded, "aye…it's a lot of fun, Lip".

Charlotte never mentioned the tattoo.

In fact, she pretended it didn't even exist.

"Winters got promoted to Captain, by the way". Charlotte added, when they neared the Barnes's home. "Just before we left for England".

"Good. He deserves the promotion". Lipton said, "so, he's officially running Easy now, huh?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled, while she knocked on the front door.

"He is, Lip".

Mrs Barnes answered and quickly went off to fetch Winters.

The Captain was a little surprised to see Charlotte back so soon but happy to see Lipton, who was well and truly healed. The men shook hands;

"good to have you back, Lip". He said, with a smile, "good to see you better".

"Thank you, sir". Lipton replied, "it's good to be back".

When the handshake ended, Winters took a step outside and closed the front door.

"Actually, I have some news for you, Carwood". He told him.

Charlotte looked up at the Sargent, who looked a little confused.

"Sir?" Lipton wondered.

Winters smiled;

"Punchy has been recommended for Battlefield Commission. He'll be promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He'll be transferred to Fox Company".

He then added;

"which leaves the spot of 1st Sargent open…I'm promoting you to 1st Sargent, Carwood".

Charlotte beamed up at Lipton, who was smiling back at Winters.

"Thank you, sir". He said, "I won't let you down".

Winters nodded, "I know you won't, Lip. You're the right man for the job".

A lot of promotions were made after Normandy.

Toye became Sargent to 1st squad, with Campbell as his Corporal.

Guarnere was officially made Staff Sargent.

Malarkey was promoted to Sargent.

And, on top of all that, the men who took part in the Brecourt Manor assault were awarded either a bronze or silver star. But, in Winters case, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Charlotte was given a bronze star. It was one of the proudest moments of her life.

When Lipton and a few others left for Edinburgh, Charlotte was alone in the stables. But she wasn't alone for long. Charlotte ran back to the Barnes's, glove and ball at the ready. Winters and Charlotte played ball until supper time, where she ended up having a lovely homecooked meal made by Mrs Barnes. And, the next day, Jackson returned back to Easy.

She was so happy to see her friend.

They spent two days fishing, walking and playing ball.

By the time the furlough ended, it was back to training.

But things were different.

The replacements had arrived.

**…**

Edward Heffron, also known as Babe, was placed in Toye's squad as their machine-gunner. Ages with Guarnere, he was from South Philadelphia with boyish good looks and a handsome smile. Heffron had a good sense of humour and easy to get along with, he shared a lot of stories and was a chatty guy. Of course, Guarnere took an immediate liking to him, they were practically neighbours, after all. And Charlotte liked Heffron, he was a lot like Guarnere. Fiery, funny and friendly. Grant took a liking to him as well and Heffron slid right into their little group.

Of course, Martin had to know;

"can you keep up with us?"

Heffron nodded, "sure I can, Sarge". He told him, "they trained me up real good".

Charlotte shook her head, "no…he doesn't mean that, Babe. He's talking about drinking".

Heffron raised an eyebrow, "drinking, huh?"

Grinning, Guarnere pushed a warm beer towards him;

"if you can stomach this, you're in".

Frowning a little, Heffron looked over at Grant, who shrugged with a grin.

"If you're lucky, you might get a tattoo".

Charlotte shot him a tiny glare;

"we don't mention that word ever again, Chuck. We had a deal".

Martin and Guarnere coughed back their laughter.

Though, Heffron looked intrigued;

"what's that suppose to mean? You fellas got tattoos?"

"We sure do". Guarnere replied, "me, Johnny and Lottie got one in Edinburgh. And then Chuck got one in London with me".

Grant rolled up his sleeve, revealing his paratrooper tattoo.

Heffron nodded in approval, "that's pretty neat".

"Damn right it is". Grant replied, pulling his sleeve back down.

"You all got the same tattoo?"

"Yup". Charlotte replied, shooting her three friends a tiny glare. "All the same. Nothing is different. It's all a tattoo of a guy jumping. Cause my pals, wouldn't let me get another one, in case I regretted it – right, lads?"

Martin snorted.

"That's right". Guarnere said, sending her a wink.

Sighing, Charlotte took a sip of her beer.

Heffron decided to try the warm beer out.

Of course, it wasn't what he expected.

But Martin was happy to note, that he didn't puke.

So, just like a good drinking buddy would do, Martin ordered two buckets of beer, to share between the five of them. The Crown, as usual, wasn't busy with locals, it was bouncing with troopers, however. The majority of Easy was in that night, seeing as they weren't given a weekend pass into London.

"I ain't ever seen a broad drink beer so quickly in my damn life". Heffron told Charlotte, "where'd you learn to drink like that, Lottie?"

She nodded towards her three friends;

"those lot". Charlotte mumbled, "but…Johnny told me how to drink to my fullest".

Martin gave her a wink, "I taught you how to live, Lottie".

So far, they didn't cause any trouble.

They drank at their table, getting slightly tipsy and having a good time. Heffron was keeping up with the drinking and was growing used to the warm beer. They were finishing off their buckets of beer slowly, not wanting to get drunk too quickly.

Toye was at the bar, talking with a woman who lived in London.

She was visiting her sister, apparently.

Not that Charlotte was paying attention, she just overheard their conversation. They were standing right behind her, after all. Though Toye was as tough as nails, he was very respectful towards women. He treated them kindly and never raised his voice. Toye was mellow, in some respects. When he wasn't in combat and not in training, Toye was relaxed and just wanted to enjoy his time off.

Charlotte wasn't sure what set this woman off, but she didn't care.

"You dumb bastard!" The woman yelled.

Grant frowned;

"the hell?" He mumbled.

Martin shrugged, "Joe must have said something to set her off".

But Guarnere didn't believe that;

"our Joe? No fucking chance, Johnny".

"That ain't right". Heffron said quietly, "calling Sarge dumb…he ain't dumb".

Charlotte couldn't see what happened next, as her back was turned to them.

But she did fell her hair grow slightly wet and sticky, from beer.

The woman had tossed her drink in Toye's face.

Frowning, Charlotte touched the top of her head;

"the fuck is this, then?" She mumbled.

"You aren't going to say anything?!" The woman demanded, "for Christ sake, Joe!"

Charlotte turned around, just in time to see the woman raise her hand.

Eyes widening, Charlotte quickly got onto her feet.

The chair fell to the side, thumping on the ground.

And Charlotte felt dizzy, from standing up so quickly.

Blinking a few times, she lightly grabbed the woman's arm;

"hey…take it easy, eh?" Charlotte told her.

The woman looked down at Charlotte and glared;

"get the fuck off of me! You bitch!"

Charlotte's hand tightened around the woman's arm;

"hey!" Charlotte snapped, "don't raise your fucking hand to my pal, eh?!"

Eyes widening a little, Guarnere watched.

"What are you going to do about it?!" The woman asked, "you stupid little Hun!"

Charlotte's jaw dropped;

"what the fuck?!" She exclaimed, "a Hun?! I don't support – look, why don't you just piss off, eh? You're fucking crazy lady!"

"I'm not crazy!" The woman screamed.

Charlotte flinched a little, when spit got in her eye.

"Jesus". She mumbled, using her free hand to wipe it away, "you've lost your damn mind".

The woman pushed Charlotte away.

Her hand left the woman's arm and Charlotte stumbled back into their table.

She knocked a bucket of beer down.

The contents spilt on the floor.

"Mind your own business!" The woman screamed.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a few deep breaths.

When her eyes opened, she straightened herself up;

"alright, lady". Charlotte mumbled, "don't fight Joe, cause you know fine well, he's not 'gonna hit you back – why don't you fight me instead, eh? That way, the only person who's 'gonna get hurt, is you".

The woman rolled her eyes;

"please". She mumbled, "I'm twice your size".

The woman then added;

"I bet you only joined the army, to sleep with all the men. You're a fucking slut".

Charlotte stared at this woman for a few moments.

And the pub suddenly went very quiet.

Everyone was watching this exchange.

Eventually, Charlotte smiled;

"oh my God". She said, with a laugh, "you're right, lady – shit, she's got me all figured out".

Charlotte then turned around and looked at Guarnere;

"she's got me all figured out, Bill! Man, I must be so easy to read, eh? God…that horse fucker Freud would have such an easy session with me in curing my damn hysteria".

Charlotte let out another forced laugh.

Which Martin frowned at.

He then whispered to Grant;

"she's lost her mind".

Charlotte looked back up at the woman, the smile was gone from her face;

"alright, enough talking. Let's get outside and square go".

However, before the woman could respond, the pub door flew open.

And in walked Winters.

"Private Gallagher!" He yelled, "come here – right now!"

For a moment, Charlotte wondered how the hell Winters would find out. But then she remembered 1st Platoon's new Lieutenant, Peacock, who was known for following the book and grassing his men up to Winters from time to time. Peacock had it in for Charlotte it seemed.

When she reached the Captain, Winters grabbed her arm and pulled her outside the pub.

Charlotte stumbled a little, when he let go of her.

Sighing, he looked down at her, with a hard glare;

"what the hell did I tell you, Charlotte?! Don't get into more trouble!"

Charlotte, still in anger mode, shot back;

"I wasn't!" She said, "that crazy lady was 'gonna slap Joe! And Joe wouldn't hit a woman back, it wasn't a fair fight, sir!"

Winters stare hardened;

"I suggest you stop raising your voice, Charlotte". He warned her, "we're family but I'm still your damn Captain".

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte lowered her eyes.

Winters continued;

"you're on latrine duties for the whole week and KP duties tomorrow morning, at 0500 hours. If you ever start a fight with a local again, I'll be taking this up with Major Strayer – do I make myself clear, Private?"

Charlotte clenched her jaw.

"Yes, sir". She replied, threw gritted teeth.

"Dismissed".

Charlotte made her way back to the stables.

Not regretting a single thing.

It wasn't a fair fight, she stood by that.

And she was a little proud of herself, for sticking up for Joe like that.

That night, before Toye turned in, he went over to thank Charlotte.

"You really sorted her out, kid". He said, with a grin, "she left when you did".

Charlotte snorted;

"good…she was pure crazy, Joe". She mumbled, "don't bring crazy girls into our life, eh?"

Smirking, Toye ruffled her hair;

"I'll try not to".

Charlotte was lying in her bed, blanket covering her body.

Toye was sitting on the edge of her bed;

"I hope Winters didn't give you a hard time, kid". He said, "did he?"

Charlotte shrugged, "don't worry 'bout it, Joe". She assured him, "was worth it".

Reaching town, Toye kissed the top of her head;

"alright, kid…see you in the morning, huh?"

Charlotte sighed;

"actually, you won't". She mumbled, "I'll be peeling potatoes all day".

Toye grimaced;

"sorry, kid".

Charlotte shook her head;

"don't be". She promised him, "it's worth it".

And she truly meant that.


	24. Chapter 23

In the middle of the night, Charlotte found herself standing outside in the pouring rain. It wasn't a field exercise, she did this because she wanted to. Looking up, she noticed the front door open slowly. Charlotte smiled, when Maggie stepped out into the rain. Biting her lower lip, Charlotte walked towards her and placed a poncho over Maggie's body.

"What about you?" Maggie whispered.

Charlotte shrugged, "I'm used to it".

Smiling, Maggie took her hand;

"shall we?"

Nodding, Charlotte squeezed Maggie's hand;

"nice night for a walk, eh?"

Maggie huffed out a tiny laugh, "well…with Mary and Jim's baby boy screaming all night, it's rather nice to get out and about".

Charlotte sighed, "I still can't believe Jim's a dad". She mumbled, "they've got a lifetime of troubles ahead of them, eh?"

Maggie giggled, "oh…we shouldn't be so harsh, Lottie. They might do just fine".

A moment of silence went by, while the pair of them walked in the rain, hand in hand.

Maggie cleared her throat;

"so…why the sudden urge to see me?"

Charlotte shrugged, "I've been thinking, is all".

"About me?"

Charlotte smiled, "I always think about you, Maggie".

A blush reached Maggie's cheeks.

Charlotte cleared her throat and continued;

"so…you left Callum?"

"I did". Maggie replied, "he was very controlling, Lottie. And he had this vision in his head, or a dream, that I didn't want. He wanted me to raise our children…".

"And you don't want that". Charlotte mumbled softly, "it's not really up my street either, Maggie".

Biting her lip, Maggie asked;

"am I…up your street?"

Charlotte smiled, "Maggie…you invented a whole new street for me".

Maggie smiled back;

"yes…Lottie, we had so much fun before Callum. And I felt terrible".

Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…don't, Maggie". She said, "like – cause people don't get us, eh? We're fucking monsters to some folk…which is pure mental".

Maggie nodded slowly;

"it is". She agreed, "so…what do we do about it?"

"Well, we do nothing". Charlotte mumbled, "and go about life the way the world wants us to".

Maggie frowned.

"I hope you have another option". She mumbled.

Smiling, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, I do". She said.

Pulling them both to a stop, Charlotte faced Maggie.

"Or, we say a big fuck you to the world and be together". She said, "but you know, if anyone finds out, we'll get locked away".

Maggie placed a hand on the side of Charlotte's face;

"as long as I'm locked up with you. I don't care".

A small smile reached Charlotte's lips;

"can we kiss again?"

Maggie let out a choked laugh and nodded;

"of course, you dafty".

Wrapping her arms around Maggie's neck, Charlotte stood on the balls of her feet and pressed her lips against Maggie's. The kiss was just as passionate and gentle as the first one they shared, when they first met. When they pulled back, Maggie pressed her forehead against Charlotte's.

"We should go somewhere and get dry". She whispered.

Charlotte hummed under her breath;

"we'll have to be very quiet". She warned her, "but I think I know a place".

Smiling, Maggie retook Charlotte's hand;

"take me there".

The young couple ended up sneaking into the NCO's attic.

Charlotte and Maggie climbed up the side of the house and opened the flat window atop of the roof. There, they both gently landed into the attic. Once inside, Maggie giggled and grabbed Charlotte into a deep kiss once again. Charlotte laughed and fell back into an old mattress.

They spent the whole night together.

And they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Charlotte had her head on Maggie's chest, while she ran her fingers through her hair.

It was a peaceful sight.

Which lay undisturbed all night.

**…**

Charlotte didn't have time to process the best night of her life.

She didn't even have time to rub her eyes or let out a yawn, to signal she was awake.

Because the hatch to the attic opened and shortly, she heard;

"who let girls in the attic?!"

Her eyes did widen however, while Maggie shot up.

She got the fright of her life.

And Charlotte pulled the blanket over her face, feeling herself tremble with fear. Not only for herself but for Maggie too. But, luckily for Maggie, Winters told her;

"Ma'am, if you'd like to leave this house so I can deal with my man, please".

Maggie felt her eyes shine;

"your Dick Winters, right?" She whispered, "the Commander of Easy?"

"I am". Winters confirmed, "and you're Mary Campbell's sister, are you not?"

"Yes". Maggie replied quietly, "and if you must, please blame this whole situation on me. For this person does not deserve any form of punishment".

The Captain raised an eyebrow;

"no offence, ma'am, but it's my job to discipline my men. And they know the rules – no women inside the barracks".

Maggie placed her hand on Charlotte's arm.

She could feel her tremble underneath.

Frowning, Maggie looked back at Winters;

"begging your pardon, Mr Winters…but I believe this is more of a sensitive issue".

"If there is a personal issue regarding one of my men, then he should talk to me about it". Winters pointed out softly, "now, ma'am…I suggest you leave. I'm sure this Sargent of mine wouldn't like to be yelled at in front of a young lady".

Pursing her lips, Maggie nodded.

Looking back down at Charlotte, who was still covered up, she whispered;

"remember? We get locked up together, okay? I'll wait for you, I promise".

Charlotte's head nodded from under the blanket.

Feeling her eyes shine with tears, Maggie got up from the mattress and left the attic.

When the hatch closed, Winters crossed his arms;

"Sargent, pull the blanket off your damn head". He ordered, "you have ignored a direct order, and this will not be tolerated within my Company. Do I make myself clear?"

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a deep breath.

Exhaling, she said quietly;

"sir, listen-"

"Lottie?" Winters whispered, face dropping.

Rubbing the tears off her cheeks, Charlotte pulled the blanket off her body and sat up. She couldn't look at him and could only stare at her hands, which were shaking. Biting her bottom lip, she rubbed the back of her neck and cleared her throat.

"Guess I should pack up, eh?" She whispered.

Blinking a few times, Winters nodded;

"yeah…you should".

Feeling her bottom lip tremble, Charlotte tried to bite down and stop it.

She sniffed;

"just so you know…I'm not crazy and I love the bones out of the lot of you".

Winters nodded again;

"I know". He said quietly.

Giving a sharp nod, Charlotte felt a few tears squeezed out from her eyes.

She let out a tiny and soft sob;

"will you tell them that please?" Charlotte croaked while collecting her jacket and boots, which were placed by the mattress, "cause…cause I can't be saying goodbye". She said, "I'll just start crying like a baby…and Jim won't like that cause…cause his baby boy is always crying and he'll get a headache and that".

Getting onto her feet, Charlotte put on her jacket.

She let out another soft sob;

"well…guess I should just turn myself in, eh? Saves you doing it, sir. You'll feel guilty and-"

"what?" Winters frowned.

Stepping towards her, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Lottie". He mumbled, crouching a little so they were eye level, "you're not going anywhere. We're family and though not a lot of people would agree with your lifestyle, I'm not one of those people. God tells us to love and respect each other. I respect you, a hell of a lot. Both as a soldier and a person. And we love the bones out of you too, Lottie".

A sad frown reached her face;

"you had me going". She said, in a brittle voice.

Winters smiled sadly;

"I was waiting until you finished your speech, Lottie. It's not every day you hear a speech coming from you".

Charlotte sniffed, "that's low-key cruel, sir".

Sighing quietly, Winters gave her shoulders a squeeze;

"you're really brave, Lottie". He said, "a lot of people in your shoes, would have gone with the easier option, to lie. And to lie to others is one thing, but to lie to yourself, will haunt you forever. I'm proud of you, Lottie. For not lying to yourself".

Charlotte looked at him, while a few more tears rolled down her cheeks.

Winters gave her a soft and gentle smile;

"one day, it won't be so hard. We can accept people drinking on the streets and fighting 'till the death. So, why wouldn't they accept more love?"

She sniffed;

"cause…folk hate change, sir". Charlotte whispered, "they're scared of it, eh?"

Winters nodded, "yeah…I think they are, Lottie".

He then added;

"you have to be careful until the day the world becomes a better place to live, Lottie. Not everyone is accepting or open-minded".

Charlotte wiped her eyes, "I know". She mumbled, "that's one thing I know most in the world, sir. It's that people can be pricks – but, they're scared pricks".

Winters chucked quietly;

"I've still 'gotta punish you, Lottie". He told her, "no girls to be brought back to the barracks, huh?"

Sighing, she nodded;

"aye, sir". Charlotte said, "what's my punishment?"

"Kitchen duties for two days". Winters listed, "and, you can help Lipton with all that paperwork he has to do".

Charlotte nodded, with a tiny smile;

"beats getting locked up in a madhouse, sir".

Winters shook his head, with a serious expression;

"I would never see you in a madhouse, Charlotte Gallagher. You're my family, and I'd bust you out of any tight spot".

Charlotte blinked back the tears of gratitude and instead, asked him;

"you 'wanna play ball with me on Sunday, sir?"

Nodding, Winters straightened himself back up;

"sure…only if you finish up that paperwork, huh?"

Charlotte smiled;

"see you Sunday, sir".

**…..**

Days after Charlotte turned twenty, the men of Easy gathered inside the Crown for warm beer and a good time. Like most weekends, the Crown was packed with troopers and very little folk from the village. After a few cancelled jumps, the men needed time to unwind and let go of a tense feeling which they carried around with them.

"If I win this game, you have to show your tattoo". Buck said to her, while holding three darts.

Charlotte sighed;

"who told you?"

He grinned, "Bill – who do you think?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte shook her head.

Buck chuckled, "come on…it can't be that bad-"

"it's fucking terrible". She mumbled, "if I ever get captured by some Krauts, they'll laugh".

He continued to laugh, "well…at least we'll end the war quicker if they're distracted, goofy".

Picking up three darts, Charlotte nodded towards the dartboard;

"and if I win…you never mention this again?"

Buck smirked, "deal".

While their game of darts went about, more men from Easy joined the pub.

A few replacements sat at a table, with a warm beer each.

Heffron only sat with them for a few moments, before he ended up joining Guarnere, Martin, Grant and Bull. He turned towards the darts game;

"did we bet?"

Guarnere nodded, with a grin;

"we did". He confirmed, "if Buck wins, Lottie's 'gotta show him her tattoo".

Heffron smiled, "do I get to see it-"

"no!" Charlotte called over her shoulder. "Only Buck gets to see it – you nosey fucker".

He laughed, "Christ…is it really that bad?"

Grant shrugged, "I think it's alright".

Guarnere snorted, "Chuck, it's fucking terrible".

"It could be worse, Bill". He pointed out, "she got the dog…at least she didn't get that duck, huh?"

Buck was mid-throw.

Slowly, he looked down at her;

"you got a dog?"

Charlotte blushed, "no…".

His eyes widened in amusement;

"Please tell me you didn't get Goofy, Lottie".

Not replying, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck.

Buck grinned and stepped towards her;

"you've 'gotta let me see this, goofy".

"What's this?" Luz asked, who walked over to them with Toye. "How come you're crowding Lottie, Buck?"

Buck continued to grin;

"she was about to show me her tattoo".

Luz and Toye both looked interested.

"The infamous tattoo, huh?" Luz asked, "well – you 'gonna let us see, Lottie?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"no".

"As your squad leader, I ordered you". Toye told her, only half-serious.

Pulling a face, she looked up at him;

"you can't do that!"

Toye nodded, "yeah…I can".

Charlotte sighed.

He smirked, "if you don't…guess you'll be cleaning the squads weapons all night".

Groaning softly under her breath, Charlotte shook her head;

"this is blackmail". She mumbled.

The men leaned towards her.

Charlotte pulled up her sleeve and revealed her Goofy tattoo.

"Holy shit…". Heffron whispered.

Buck huffed out a laugh;

"you took your nickname serious, huh?"

With the embarrassing moment over with, Charlotte took a few steps back. Grabbing her pint, she sighed and looked up at Guarnere;

"why, Bill?"

"Why what?" He asked.

"Why the fuck did you let me get that tattoo?"

Guarnere smirked and rolled his eyes;

"let it go, Lottie". He said, "who knows, huh? You might just start a trend-"

"aw, no one's that fucking stupid". Charlotte muttered.

Martin laughed, "nah…they ain't as Goofy as you, goofy".

Guarnere gave Charlotte's side a nudge.

She looked up at him;

"aye?"

"Those three boys". He mumbled, nodding towards the three replacements at the table. "Ain't those Bull's boys?"

Following his stare, Charlotte nodded;

"aye…one of them got pissed on during the night".

Martin pulled a face, "nah…really?"

She nodded, "aye – straight up". She confirmed, "can't mind who pissed on him but he was proper fucking drunk, eh? Thought that man was a toilet or something".

Grant chuckled, "that's funny".

"It is". Guarnere smiled, "you know…I think I'll go and introduce myself – Lottie, let's go".

Charlotte frowned, "what? Nah, man…you're on your own".

Guarnere sent her a knowing look.

Sighing, she picked up her beer again;

"fine".

Bull said to them both;

"careful now. Don't take much to set my guys off".

Martin snorted, "yeah, you got some wide-eyed killers right there, Bull".

Guarnere and Charlotte made their way towards the three replacements.

Of course, the Sargent warned her to;

"be cool". Guarnere whispered, "leave the talking to me".

Charlotte shook her head;

"you're pure mental, man…we're not being the good and bad cop, here".

"Aren't we?" Guarnere grinned.

When they approached the table, both of them took the seats opposite the three guys from Bull's squad. Charlotte gave them a tiny smile, suddenly feeling extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

"Hey, fellas". Guarnere greeted, "what'd you hear? What'd you say?"

One of them said;

"uh, actually…that's Babe's seat. Private Heffron's".

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked down at the chair.

"Oh". She mumbled, "Bill? We should-"

"is that right?" Guarnere replied, grabbing onto Charlotte's arm to stop her from getting up.

Sighing quietly, she remained seated.

"It don't care if it's fucking Eisenhower's". The Platoon Sargent finished off.

He then nodded to the man sitting on the edge;

"who are you?"

"Private Miller". He replied, "James Miller. I'm in Sargent Randleman's squad".

Sitting up slightly, Charlotte whispered into Guarnere's ear;

"that's the guy who got pissed on".

Raising an eyebrow, Guarnere looked at her.

"Us too". Another one said.

"You all got pissed on?" Charlotte mumbled.

The same guy frowned and shook his head;

"no…I'm in Sargent Randleman's squad as well. I'm Les Hashey".

"Tony-" The man in the middle was cut off by Guarnere;

"Garcia…I know". He said, "old Gonorrhoea don't miss a thing".

Seeing their slightly confused faces, Charlotte gave them a tiny smile.

"It's a…it's a really thought-out nickname…". She told them shyly.

Miller frowned, "from a sexually transmitted disease?"

Charlotte could feel her lips twitch;

"sure-"

"hey". Guarnere warned her, "nah…Guarnere sounds similar too – anyway, who gives a shit".

Charlotte shrugged, "I think they do, Bill".

Sending her a small glare, Guarnere then said;

"so, Heffron tell you about Doris yet?"

Hashey shook his head, "no".

"No? Well then, I'm 'gonna educate you". Guarnere said, "we're getting ready to get on the plane for that first fucking town we never jumped into. All of a sudden, Heffron stops dead in his tracks. Bing and a bang and a boom, everybody's banging into each other and everything. Heffron's just staring up at the nose on the plane, because on it, is painted this beautiful pin-up. Written underneath; Darling Doris. Doris just happens to be the name of the skirt, who just sent Babe one of them letters". Guarnere thought hard, "you know…the…Lottie?"

Charlotte shook her head, "no idea what the hell you're on about half the time, man".

Sighing, he leaned back and looked over at Webster;

"Web, what'd you call them letters that the broads send?"

"Dear John letter". Webster replied, almost straight away.

"That's it". Guarnere confirmed, "a dear Babe letter".

They chuckled at that.

Guarnere continued;

"anyway, lucky for Babe, Patton's army overruns our drop zone. Mission cancelled. In other words, Babe don't have to risk getting inside old Doris again".

They all shared a laugh.

Guarnere turned to face Bull;

"hey, Bull, your squad listens up real good".

"Yeah, they're being polite. Like whenever Bulls opens his mouth". Martin stated.

"Johnny, what are you saying? Bull's boys are just humouring him?"

"Yeah, like whenever he gives out some of his folksy wisdom from back down on the farm".

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, "wow". She whispered.

"Probably thinks he's a fucking hayseed?" Guarnere joked, "ain't that right?"

When they all started to laugh, all except Charlotte, Martin then sent a glare towards Miller;

"what are you laughing at?"

Miller stopped laughing.

Martin hid a smile behind his glass of beer.

There was a moment of tension.

When Charlotte looked up at Guarnere;

"I don't fucking get it, man".

He frowned and looked back at her;

"what?"

"The joke, eh?" Charlotte said, "why would Bull be a hayseed?"

Rolling his eyes, Martin gave the back of her chair a gentle kick;

"Lottie, get the hell up and get drunk with me".

Sighing, she grabbed her beer;

"alright, man…you asked for it".

Guarnere looked back at the three replacements;

"you new boys…you pay attention to Sargent Randleman? Got that? That's the smartest man in the Company".

Charlotte finished off the last of her beer, while Martin and Guarnere went off to buy another round. She was standing next to Bull and Cobb suddenly caught the Sargent's attention, who leaned over his squad's table.

Cobb flicked the Unit Citation badge on Miller's shirt;

"where'd you get that?"

"It's the Presidential Unit Citation. For uh – for what the Regiment did in Normandy". Miller answered, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked up at Bull.

"That's right". Sneered Cobb, "for what the Regiment did. You weren't there".

"Hey, ease up, Cobb". Hoobler told him, "it's a Unit Citation".

But even with Hoobler backing Miller up, the replacement still took off his badge, placed it on the table and got up to leave. Miller sent Bull a tight smile first, before he moved away from the table and headed for the door.

"Jesus, Cobb". Charlotte mumbled.

He pulled a face;

"what?"

She shrugged, "'dunno…you just sounded like a self-righteous arsehole".

Cobb was about to argue back, when Bull suddenly said;

"shit, Cobb". He picked up the badge from the table, "you didn't fight in Normandy neither".

Cobb leaned back towards Hashey and Garcia;

"I got hit in the plane before I got the chance to jump".

Charlotte frowned;

"man…what the hell, eh? Just leave off and drink the rest of your beer".

Cobb raised his eyebrows;

"you've suddenly grown some balls, huh?"

Shrugging, Charlotte sat back down opposite Hashey and Garcia.

"I don't need balls, Cobb…I'm a woman".

Rolling his eyes, Cobb moved back towards Hoobler and a few others.

Smiling, Charlotte looked over at Hashey and Garcia;

"how's it going?"

Clearing his throat, Hashey replied with;

"fine…you good?"

"Aye, not bad, eh?" She replied with a little sigh, "still got those pains in my back from falling during that last field exercise. But not too bad".

Garcia's face lifted into a smile;

"yeah?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, Tony…I tell you, turning twenty was mental. I think my bones are brittle".

Hashey snorted, "you just turned twenty? You were seventeen when you enlisted?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…how old are you, like?"

"We're nineteen". Garcia replied, "Hashey turned nineteen this year…I'll be twenty in October".

"What's up with your pal?" Charlotte wondered, "Miller?"

Garcia shrugged;

"he got beat up pretty bad for wearing the Citation a few days ago".

Charlotte frowned;

"shit…really?"

He nodded, "yeah".

"How come you's didn't get battered?"

Hashey sighed, "no idea, Lottie…guess we just got lucky".

"Easy Company! Listen up!"

The room quietened down, when all eyes turned towards Lipton.

He frowned;

"hate to break the mood here, boys. But we're moving out again".

** …**

While all the men headed back into their barracks to get ready, Charlotte was throwing stones at a top window. A few minutes later, the light turned on and the window opened.

Maggie held up two fingers;

"two seconds". She mouthed.

Nodding, Charlotte took a step back and waited.

A few seconds later, Maggie stepped out of her house, wearing a long coat on top of her nightclothes. Charlotte smiled and took Maggie's hand;

"it's happening".

Maggie frowned, "again?"

Charlotte nodded, "I think this is it, Maggie".

Sighing, Maggie soon pulled her hand free and crossed her arms over her chest.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"I can't help it, Maggie". She mumbled, "it's not up to me, eh?"

Shaking her head, Maggie looked down at her feet;

"it's not that, Lottie". She whispered.

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte cleared her throat again;

"so – eh – what is it, then?"

Maggie let out a long sigh, "I'm not like you, Lottie".

Charlotte frowned;

"what'd you mean? Course you're not, Maggie. No two people are the same-"

"no, Lottie". Maggie stressed, "I'm not like you…okay? I'm not like you. I can't have the world turning against me. In fact, I just want to forget this ever happened".

Charlotte's face dropped.

Blinking a few times, she looked down at her boots;

"aye, alright".

"I'm sorry".

Charlotte felt a lump get caught in her throat.

"S'fine". She mumbled through the lump, "I get it".

Maggie nodded and looked up but away from Charlotte;

"I knew you would". Maggie whispered. "Good luck, Lottie".

Before Maggie could leave, Charlotte asked;

"you're going back to Callum?"

But Maggie didn't say anything.

She opened the front door and walked back into her house.

Charlotte shook her head;

"fine!" She said, "I hope you's are pure fucking happy together!"

Breathing heavily, with tears in her eyes, Charlotte added;

"not that I'm like mad or that!" She yelled, "even if I sound pissed off! I'm not!"

Feeling her bottom lip quiver, Charlotte finished off her yelling match;

"sorry for yelling!"


	25. Chapter 24

"As you can see, this is called Operation Market Garden. In turns of airborne Divisions, this one's even bigger than Normandy. We're dropping deep into occupied Holland".

The men of Easy were back into the marshalling area in Membury.

Only this time, something felt so final.

This operation was massive, a lot of money went into this mission.

It had to work.

"The allied objective is to take the road here, between Eindhoven and Arnhem, so the two British armoured Divisions can move it up towards Arnhem". Winters continued to tell the men of Easy, during their briefing. "Our job is 'gonna be to liberate Eindhoven, stay there, wait for the tanks".

Nixon stepped forward next;

"the entire European advance has been put on hold to allocate resources for this operation. It's Montgomery's personal plan, we'll be under British command".

Most of the men let out collective groans of displease.

"The good news is". Nixon added, "if this works, these tanks will be over the Rhine and into Germany. That could end the war and get us home by Christmas".

That seemed to lighten the mood a little.

"It'll be a daytime jump; intelligence doesn't expect much opposition. They think the Krauts in Holland are mostly kids and old men. And we should take them by surprise".

The mood lifted even more.

Until Nixon added;

"in any, case. Say goodbye to England. I don't think they're 'gonna call this one off".

Charlotte left the tent feeling a huge weight press against her shoulders.

Sighing heavily, she made her way back towards the tent. She wanted to pack-up and prepare now, rather than leaving it until after supper. Charlotte had it all planned in her head, drawn out like a map. She'd go over the mission again with Toye after packing-up, she'd have supper and then hopefully get an early night.

"What do you think, Lottie?" Jackson asked, while they walked back to their squad tent. "You think it's 'gonna be like Normandy?"

Potter sighed;

"I sure hope not…I promised the folks at home it wouldn't be".

Campbell shook his head, "can't be like last time". He mumbled, "we're doing a daytime jump".

"Yeah?" Heffron asked, "so, we don't 'gotta worry?"

"Dammit, Babe". Campbell muttered, "we always 'gotta worry, huh? Don't stay too relaxed out there, you hear me? Or you'll get killed".

"That don't sound good". Potter said quietly, "Babe, you stick with us, okay? God will take care of the rest".

"Just 'gotta be on our toes". Eddie Joint said, "anyway, what's for eating?"

"Oh, I hear we're getting steak". Jackson pointed out lightly, "mashed potatoes, white bread – all the trimmings like last time".

Potter sighed happily;

"boy…they sure know how to treat us fellas, huh?"

His comment was ignored, when Campbell suddenly voiced out;

"the hell are they talking about?" He muttered, "old men and kids? It's occupied Holland!"

Toye shook his head;

"yeah…Bill don't think the same either, Jim. He also don't think the war will end by Christmas".

"Great". Jackson mumbled sarcastically, "I really wanted to spend another holiday away from home".

"What's eating you, Jim?" Potter asked, "are you bummed to be leaving Mary and baby Jimmy?"

Campbell sighed, "I ain't about to cry to you about it, Geo".

Jackson pulled a face;

"that ain't fair, Jim. Geo was only looking out for you".

"Yeah? Well, I don't need to be looked-out for!" Campbell snapped.

Toye cleared his throat;

"I'll come by in two hours, alright? We'll go over the briefing again".

"I was only saying, Jim". Jackson mumbled, ignoring Toye, "you don't 'gotta bite my damn head off. Leave that to the Krauts, huh?"

Charlotte pulled a face and looked up at him;

"the fuck is that supposed to mean?" She wondered quietly, "the Krauts aren't getting near your head". She then looked around at the squad, "or any of your heads – everyone just calm down, alright?!" Charlotte demanded, voice getting louder. "There is no need to panic! It won't be like Normandy! It won't! You heard Nix, it's a daytime jump! It's 'gonna be-"

"Jesus, Lottie". Toye mumbled, "calm down, alright?"

"I am!" Charlotte stressed, "it's fine!"

Campbell rolled his eyes, "quit shouting, huh? Everybody's looking at you".

"Everything okay?" Buck asked, with a curious Guarnere next to him. "Goofy? Why are you yelling? Save that for the jump, huh?"

Toye shook his head, with a smirk;

"oh, she's fine, sir". He remarked sarcastically, "everybody in England knows she's fine".

"The whole of Europe knows she's fucking fine". Guarnere muttered.

He then cleared his throat and looked at his best friend;

"Lottie…cool it, huh? You're spooking the replacements".

"No, she ain't". Heffron mumbled.

"You've 'gotta set a good example, huh?" Guarnere went on, "I know you ain't an NCO, but if you ever 'wanna be one-"

"nope". Charlotte flat-out refused, "that imaginary promotion can get to fuck, Bill".

Sighing, he rolled his eyes;

"you need a word, Lottie? Cause you're acting like you 'gotta tell me something".

Her hard stare soon softened.

As did her voice;

"aye…that would be braw".

Hand going on her shoulder, Guarnere led Charlotte away from her squad.

They ended up in a small and secluded part of the field.

Right by the fence, where all the old racehorses were kept.

Guarnere lit up a cigarette and handed it to Charlotte before taking one for himself.

"Alright, what's up?" He asked, "you're mad about something, huh?"

Charlotte nodded.

She leaned against the fence;

"it's…it's 'bout Maggie".

"Yeah?" Guarnere asked, "what happened?"

Charlotte sighed and looked down at her boots;

"she finished with me".

His face softened a little;

"that's too bad, Lottie…she give you a reason?"

Charlotte nodded, "she's not like me, apparently".

Guarnere pulled a face, "huh? That don't make sense, Lottie. No two people are-"

"the same…I know". She said, "that's what I says".

Taking in a drag from his cigarette, he asked;

"so, what'd she say after that?"

Charlotte shook her head, feeling a lump in her throat.

"She doesn't want the world to hate her".

Guarnere frowned.

Charlotte then added;

"she's back with Callum too".

"Shit". Guarnere whispered, "shit – that's too bad, Lottie. That's real fucking shit".

"I feel like she…maybe she used me?" Charlotte whispered, "like…maybe she wasn't sure what she wanted and got scared or something?"

Blowing out the smoke he had inhaled, Guarnere shrugged;

"maybe, pal". He said softly, "but you need a woman, Lottie. Not some girl who don't know what she wants, you know? Cause that just set's you up for heart break".

Bottom lip quivering, Charlotte shrugged;

"she was older than me".

"That don't mean nothing, when you hurt my pal".

Guarnere then said;

"if some boy did that to you, I'd have kicked the shit 'outta him".

Charlotte choked out a tearful laugh.

Guarnere smiled sadly at her;

"but I could never lay a finger on a female, Lottie".

"Me neither, Bill". Charlotte croaked, with a tiny sniff. "Thing is…there's not loads of fish in the pond for folk like me, Bill".

Shaking his head, Guarnere wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Folk like what, Lottie? Cause all I see, is my best fucking pal, cut up about a girl she really fucking liked. You ain't different from me, or anyone else on this damn planet. We all shit, you know? We just got more in common".

Charlotte leaned into his side;

"cause we both like girls?"

Guarnere snorted, "yeah, I guess". He said, "but Lottie, you're my Laurel to my Hardy. Christ, I couldn't do this without you. So, don't do nothing stupid out there, you hear? Cause I 'wanna see you marry a nice fucking girl one day".

Closing her eyes, Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Cause you will marry a girl one day, Lottie. If that's what you want, huh? And hey, maybe you could adopt some kids and name one of them Bill".

She felt herself smiling;

"I'd name them all Bill". She mumbled tearfully.

Guarnere chuckled, "even the girls?"

"Even the girls". She confirmed, while her arm went around his waist.

He kissed the top of her head;

"we'd best get packing, Lottie". He said, "I 'wanna brief you all after supper".

Charlotte had planned to sleep after supper.

But her head was clear, after her talk with Gaurnere.

And she felt ready for anything.

**…**

Allowing Toye to fix her harness, Charlotte stood with her legs slightly spread and her arms to the side. They were set to board the planes in over an hour, not giving them a lot of time left to pack-up and prepare. Charlotte was thankful that she had packed away her gear last night, which only left her to pack up her weapons, which were being supplied to them that morning.

"I have to pee".

Toye looked at her, with a tiny glare;

"you're fucking testing me, kid". He said, "I've put on your damn harness".

Charlotte nodded;

"aye…well, we'd best be taking it off now, eh?"

Toye sighed heavily, "fucking Christ". He muttered, while taking off her harness, "damn you, Lottie".

A tiny smile lifted her lips;

"man, I can't help". She argued lightly, "I'm nervous, eh? And when I get this nervous, my bladder gets nervous. And when that gets nervous I-"

"I get it, Lottie". Toye stressed, "okay? You don't 'gotta tell me more".

Charlotte stepped out of her harness;

"cheers, Joe".

Huffing out a tiny laugh, Toye nodded;

"be quick, huh? Don't pull that stunt you did with Lip back in Normandy".

Charlotte pulled a face;

"I was like two ticks".

"We don't know what that means, kid".

With another smile, Charlotte turned away and walked over to the latrines.

On her way back from the latrines, she bumped into her drinking buddy.

Who looked a little stressed.

Charlotte grabbed his arm;

"what's going on, Johnny?"

Martin sighed;

"it's Lieutenant Peacock".

"Aye? What 'bout him?"

Martin snorted, "he was saying weird things to me".

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte let go of his arm.

Martin continued to tell her;

"I think he's colour blind".

Her eyes widened a little, "aye?"

He nodded, "yeah…he wants me to tap him when the light switches to green".

"Yikes". Charlotte mumbled, "well…what're you 'gonna do about it?"

Martin shrugged, "nothing, Lottie. I'll tap when it turns green, huh?"

She gave him a small smile;

"you're a good guy, Johnny". She said, "some guys would turn him in".

Martin sighed, "well, we sort of need a Platoon leader, Lottie. You know, we're about to jump".

Charlotte smiled worriedly;

"aye". She mumbled quietly, "weird, eh?"

He gave her shoulder a clap;

"hey, where's your-"

"Lottie, why isn't your harness on?" Winters soon asked, while walking over to her. "We're set to board the plane in under one hour now".

Giving her a smirk, Martin let go of her shoulder and walked away.

Looking up at Winters, Charlotte gave him a tiny smile;

"was just about to do that, sir".

"Good". Winters approved, "did you see Popeye?"

"He's back, sir?" Charlotte asked, a bright smile soon lifting her face. "Where is he?"

"You can see him once you get your harness on, huh?"

Chuckling quietly, Charlotte nodded;

"fair deal, sir".

Smiling, Winters placed his hand on her shoulder.

The pair of them walked towards the plane.

"Captain Sobel dropped him off". Winters informed her.

Charlotte's eyes widened;

"really?"

He nodded, "yup – Popeye got a ride from him".

She snorted, "that's mental, sir".

Just as they neared the plane, where Toye was impatiently waiting for her, Charlotte soon heard a chipper voice call her name;

"howdy, Lottie!"

Grinning, she looked to her right and saw Popeye.

The man still walked with a little limp.

Apparently, he wasn't completely healed and had to go AWOL from the hospital before he was shipped off to another unit. Popeye could still fight; he just couldn't sit down.

"Hey, Pop!" Charlotte called back, giving him a little wave.

Charlotte soon felt a hand drag her off to the side;

"that wasn't two ticks". Toye hissed, "come on, let's get this damn harness on".

She put her arms out to the side;

"it was". Charlotte told him, "but I bumped into Johnny".

She then added;

"did you hear that Sobel dropped off Popeye?"

Toye huffed out a laugh;

"Jesus…really? That's fucking weird, huh?"

"Aye, it is". Charlotte agreed, "imagine getting a lift off Sobel?"

He smirked, "I can't, Lottie. I'd get nightmares for the rest of my life".

Toye finished harnessing Charlotte, with a nod of approval;

"you're good to go, kid". He said, "now, you still feeling nervous?"

She sighed;

"I wasn't…I wasn't nervous yesterday, Joe". She told him, "I was mad 'bout something".

Toye gave her shoulder a squeeze, "you good now?"

Charlotte gave him a smile;

"proper good and ready to fight once more, Sargent Toye".

Toye smiled back at her, "good". He said, "'cause you're 'gonna need to be ready. We're boarding this plane soon".

"Aren't we getting them sickness tablets?"

Toye shook his head;

"not this time, kid".

"Thank fuck". Charlotte mumbled, "them tablets put me to fucking sleep".

"They almost put the entire Company to sleep, Lottie".

Before they boarded the plane, Sargent's were handing out sandwiches and snacks to all the troopers, who sat or lay under their plane wings. Charlotte, feeling slightly peckish, bit into her cheese and ham sandwich with a nod of approval;

"aye…it's braw".

Eddie Joint looked pale;

"I can't eat".

Heffron sighed, "don't be such a chooch, huh? It's 'gonna be fine".

"I ain't a chooch, Babe". Joint mumbled, "I'm just thinking, huh? We don't get a reserve chute cause we're jumping low…what if we fucking need the reserve chute cause our main chute fucking fails".

"Oh my God, Eddie". Charlotte said, between bites of her sandwich, "shut up".

Campbell grinned, "couldn't have said it better myself, Lottie".

"Jesus". Joint said quietly, "sorry for being concerned about our own damn safety".

Toye laughed, "Eddie…if you had any concern of your own safety, then why the fuck did you join the Paratroopers?"

Jackson nodded in approval;

"exactly".

Kiehn shrugged, "I see his point…but I ain't worried about it".

Potter placed his bible back into his bag;

"don't worry, my brothers and sister…we have God on our side for this jump". He assured them.

Campbell raised an amused eyebrow;

"glad we got his approval, Geo".

"We always do, Jim". Potter told him, "now…the folks back home, they do their praying for us too. Each and everyone of us. God's bound to be listening, that's a lot of prayers".

Charlotte looked at him;

"hey, Geo?"

"Yeah, Lottie?"

"How many folks have you got back home?"

Potter sighed, "well, Lottie…I got my parents, my five brothers, three sisters. Then my grandma, grandpa, aunt and uncle Potter, aunt and uncles from mom's side. Then my six cousins, four second cousins and two third cousins from across town. Not to mention all of my school buddies. And my church buddies. And then my work buddies. And the buddies I met at-"

"we get it, Geo". Toye grinned, "you've got a lot of folks back home".

Potter smiled, "that I do, Joe…and they all pray for us".

Heffron huffed;

"you guys must have some parties, huh?"

"We do". He confirmed, "we all get together for the holidays at my grandmas".

Charlotte smiled a little;

"we had the worst Christmas dinner once".

"Even worse than the dinner at Benning?" Campbell wondered.

She nodded;

"aye, this was proper horrible". She said, "so, we're all sitting to eat our turkey feast. Dad's not home, he's at the training base with the officers. Mums been slaving away in the kitchen all day but couldn't be arsed halfway through and served us an undercooked bird".

Toye grimaced;

"you ate it, didn't you?"

Charlotte shuddered and nodded;

"aye, I did". She mumbled, "so did my brothers…mum doesn't eat a lot of meat, so, she didn't touch the turkey. Well, we only had one bathroom, eh? And I was the first one to start puking my guts up. My brothers had to use a bucket between them". Charlotte snorted, "it was fucking messy".

The others chuckled.

"Sure sounds it, Lottie". Heffron said, "I ain't ever had that before".

Frowning a little, Charlotte lay down on the ground.

The plane wing shielded her eyes from the sun.

"I had a similar experience during thanksgiving". Campbell said, "but, we only had a bathroom outside at our old house".

Heffron pulled a face;

"Jesus, Jim".

"Yeah…that was fucking rough". He said, "my aunt accidentally gave us all food poisoning".

A few moments of silence went by.

While the men thought back to spending the holidays with their families back home.

"That was my last Christmas with them".

Charlotte suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Sighing quietly, she sat up.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she said;

"lost my brothers, then mum…then dad". Charlotte shrugged, "life's fucking cruel and weird like that, eh?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte looked down at her hands;

"I've told some of you's before…but you's end up falling asleep when I get to that part".

Toye frowned;

"shit, Lottie".

"I didn't know, Lottie". Campbell added quietly.

Looking back up, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah – come on, it's fine, eh?" She told them lightly, "cause, like what Geo would say, I've got my brothers here".

Potter smiled, "you sure do, Lottie. God has brought us all here for a reason and-"

"Lottie?" Toye asked her, with a frown, "when did your dad pass?"

"Benning". She mumbled, "found out during our leave".

"Shit". He whispered, "so, where'd you stay?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte was about to answer, when Lipton suddenly told them all;

"let's board up, boys!" He yelled, "it's time to go!"

Like always, the men were given a rough shove up into the planes.

Charlotte sat down heavily and shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position.

Buck was jumpmaster for this flight, with Lipton as push-man.

He did his rounds on his men, making sure they were all ready for take-off.

When Buck checked on Charlotte, he gave her a grin;

"all set, goofy?"

She nodded back;

"grand, sir".

Buck clapped her shoulder, "good. Let me know if that changes, huh?"

"Will do, sir".

When the engines roared to life, it wasn't long until their plane took-off into the bright and blue sky. It was the perfect sunny Sunday, along with warm weather and a cool breeze. Charlotte felt like they were all going on a nice summer holiday, not into occupied Holland.

And for a moment, it felt like that.

Until she reminded herself, just where she was.

Back on a plane, being dropped behind enemy lines.

Back to work.

And back to possibly losing more friends, or herself.


	26. Chapter 25

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Paratroopers jumped with ease into Holland.

Landing on a soft and grassy field, they quickly released themselves from their chutes and ran away from the drop zone, careful to avoid all the heavy equipment, which came down in chutes of their own. It was an easy and perfect landing, one of their best ones yet. And Holland was such a beautiful place, as though the war hadn't put a dent into the country. Windmills were scattered across the flatlands, as far as the eye could see. And, welcoming the men into the country, were the Dutch, who came out from their farmhouses to offer the men beer and other refreshments.

Once Winters touched down on Dutch soil, he collapsed his canopy, smacked open the snap release, shucked his harness and jogged east towards the highway and their rally point.

"Easy Company!" Winters yelled over the roar of the C-47 planes, "on me!"

It was an easy landing, but assembly took longer than expected.

"Hey, Dick". Welsh greeted, "nice place, huh?"

Lieutenant Welsh had arrived with a handful of men both from 1st and 3rd Platoons.

Peacock was among those men.

And Winters sighed, fearing that some men might have gotten lost or injured from the falling equipment. He was constantly scanning the field, hoping no one would get hurt.

"Harry". Winters greeted back, "no sign of Buck or Lip?"

"Not yet".

He sighed, "we've 'gotta make a move as soon as we're assembled. We've got a long march to the bridge".

"We're cutting through the town?" Welsh asked.

Winters nodded, "of Son, yeah. Quickest way to the bridge. 2nd Battalion is leading. We're following in behind Dog Company".

Guarnere soon arrived with almost all of the men from his stick, Buck included.

They were only missed two from their stick;

Jackson and Charlotte.

Guarnere, of course, was livid;

"I'm 'gonna kill that stupid mick". He muttered to Toye, "where the hell did they get off too?"

"I 'dunno, Bull". Toye muttered back, "I didn't see them land".

"We can look for them". Muck offered, with a shrug.

"No, it's too dangerous". Buck said, "you run the risk of getting hit by falling equipment".

Campbell then grinned, "looks like we don't have to".

Lipton was dragging both Jackson and Charlotte towards the highway.

He had a hand on each of their shoulders, looking slightly pissed off. Once they reached the men from Easy, Lipton let go of them, where Charlotte and Jackson hung their heads. Shaking his head, Guarnere and Toye walked over to them;

"what the hell did you do?" Guarnere asked them.

Jackson sighed;

"we got beer-"

"aye, loads of beer". Charlotte mumbled.

"This Dutch guy gave us beer". He explained, "and…and we sat down-"

"outside his house". She added, "he put up chairs for us to sit on-"

"we didn't 'wanna be rude-"

"so, we sat down".

Jackson shrugged, "and had a beer with him".

Toye shook his head;

"you're both idiots, huh?"

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"aye, well…Sargent Lip is pretty pissed off-"

"you got that right". Guarnere said, with a tiny laugh.

Campbell nodded towards her musette bag;

"how much beer did you get?"

A grin soon spread across her face; Charlotte looked up.

"Loads". She said, "Jack got loads too".

Charlotte had no idea, that Lipton was still giving her a hard stare.

"Private". He said to her firmly, "wipe that shit-eating grin off your damn face!"

Guarnere chuckled;

"shit, he's mad at you two, huh?"

The smile left her face;

"aye". Charlotte mumbled.

Smiling small, Jackson gave Charlotte's side a gentle nudge;

"don't worry, Lottie". He said to her lowly, "we can have some good beer tonight, huh?"

That seemed to cheer her up again.

When 2nd Battalion was assembled, they began their long march to the bridge.

The troops followed the road, passing by colourful fields and lushes' grass. Under a blanket of blue sky and the high sun, it was like walking down a road to paradise. Charlotte breathed in and could smell nothing but wildflowers and the fresh air. It was like a lazy field exercise through England. Only, Aldbourne didn't have colourful fields and windmills.

"I think I love Holland". Jackson said, who was behind Charlotte.

And she smiled;

"same".

"The folks at home sure won't believe this beautiful place". Potter commented softly.

"If I could paint, I'd paint these fields". Eddie Joint told them.

"I wouldn't". Heffron said, "I'd paint the pretty Dutch broads".

Charlotte grinned.

And even she had to admit, the Dutch women were beautiful.

They stood outside their houses and waved to the men.

Some of them even came over and kissed their cheeks.

Or, handed them jarred food.

Jackson had a jar full of dried cherries.

While Charlotte had a few red lipstick marks on her cheek, as well as a lazy and "goofy" smile, to match her tattoo and nickname. And that was the reception they met while passing through the town of Son. The Dutch were happy, friendly and excited to greet the American troopers. But all that excitement came to a sudden halt when the men were suddenly greeted with an 88 shell, which came flying fifty yards from the bridge.

Of course, as soon as the familiar whistle sounded, the men ducked for cover.

Shortly after the 88, an MG-42 was fired out.

Winters still had his men moving forward, while they ducked for cover behind houses, walls and buildings. Charlotte was behind Toye, with Heffron right behind her. The three of them, along with the rest of the squad, proceeded to move forward.

"Shit – my fucking cherries!" Jackson exclaimed when his jar of cherries came crashing onto the ground.

Campbell laughed;

"tough luck, kid!"

"SHIT! FALL OUT!" Toye suddenly yelled.

It was the strangest experience, seeing the shell head straight for them.

1st squad ran and dove away from the house. Lying on the ground, they covered their heads. The shell landed somewhere behind the house, but it still managed to take a bit of the house down. Bricks, wood and debris flew over them. When Charlotte landed on the ground, she felt something hit her on the back and a few seconds later, she could feel liquid cover her lower back.

Eyes widening, she didn't move.

Charlotte paled, while she stared at the cobbled stones below her.

Things seemed to slow down for a moment. Men ran in slow motions, shells hit the ground and men yelled out orders. Charlotte didn't know how long she was glued to the ground but soon, Lipton was crouched in front of her, screaming in her ear;

"get up, Lottie!"

Giving her head a shake, Charlotte replied;

"I…I think I'm hit, Lip!"

Lipton frowned deeply;

"where?!"

Charlotte swallowed back the sickening feeling in her gut;

"lower back!"

The 1st Sargent checked her back, while Charlotte stayed still, too frightened to move in case her insides fell out. Breathing heavily, she felt tears sting in her eyes. She didn't want to die. She was only twenty, still a kid compared to some of the men. Charlotte wanted to live to see her friends cheer and smile with relief when this war ended.

Lipton was back facing her in a matter of seconds.

And he smiled.

Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek;

"I know you're pissed at me, Lip!" She choked out, "but I didn't think you'd be happy about this!"

Smiling sadly, Lipton clapped her shoulder;

"you're fine, buddy!" He assured her, "something must've hit your bottle of beer and it broke!"

Letting that information sink in.

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"I see". She mumbled.

Lipton grabbed her arm;

"come on, Lottie! Let's get up!"

Once on her feet, she wiped the tear from her face;

"I'm sorry, Lip!"

Clapping her shoulder again, Lipton nodded;

"water under the bridge, buddy".

As soon as those words left his mouth, an 88 hit the bridge.

The explosion lifted the span of the bridge, throwing wood and stone high into the air. Everyone grabbed some cover and covered their heads, while all the wood and stone rained down on them. Charlotte looked over at Lipton, with a tiny smirk;

"what bridge, Lip?!"

Giving his head a shake, Lipton snorted;

"one that ain't blown-up, Lottie!"

With the bridge gone, the men couldn't find another way across the water.

For the time being, they were stuck on trying to construct a bridge. They tore doors off buildings, used tools and the likes to create their very own bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very stable bridge and near enough collapsed when two Platoons from Dog Company went across. So, they had to rely on the engineers to create a sturdy and reliable bridge to cross.

With not a lot to do, Charlotte and Jackson decided to explore the town some more.

Walking down a cobbled street, with holes in some parts due to the shells, many of the locals were outside and cleaning up the mess the Germans had left. The two friends had planned to find more beer but found themselves taking in a devastating scene before them.

A few dead civilians were lying on the road, with their grieving loved ones around them.

Jackson sighed;

"that ain't right". He said quietly, "they didn't do nothing wrong".

Charlotte frowned;

"I know". She whispered.

The grieving man placed a sheet over his wife's body.

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte swallowed back the lump in her throat.

The husbands two small children were beside him.

Charlotte felt something tug on her heart;

"we should go". She mumbled thickly, "leave them alone, eh?"

Nodding, Jackson tossed his arm around her shoulders;

"alright, Lottie". He said quietly.

Turning away from the grieving loved ones, the friends headed back to Easy.

**…**

They didn't reach the other side of the canal until nightfall.

When it started to rain heavily, the men found woodsheds and barns to sleep in.

And by the next day, they were ready to move towards Eindhoven.

The next problem they encountered wasn't the Germans, it was the aggressively happy Dutch people who lived in the city. There, they ran out of their houses, waving orange flags and pulling the men off to the side to hug or kiss them. It was like one giant street party, with songs, cheers and plenty of refreshments and food. The Dutch had so little, but they gave what they had to the soldiers who had liberated them.

As soon as the men were crowded with happy Dutch people, Charlotte lost her squad.

She was dragged away by a woman, who kept on kissing and hugging her.

Charlotte's cheeks and lips were red by her lipstick.

Not that she was complaining.

And even when the woman found out that Charlotte was in fact, a female, it didn't seem to bother her. Charlotte smiled up at the woman;

"I love Holland".

The woman smiled back and kissed her again;

"thank you". She whispered, "thank you…thank you".

Charlotte nodded, "yup – aye, it's fine". She mumbled between kisses.

She could have stayed with this Dutch woman for hours. But a firm hand soon gripped onto her shoulder, pulling Charlotte away from her;

"wait…no". Charlotte whined.

"Lottie, we've 'gotta keep moving". Winters warned her, "we have to secure the Dommel River bridge and wait for the British tanks".

Letting out a sigh, she nodded and hung her head;

"alright, sir".

Shaking his head, Winters led Charlotte through the joyous celebrations.

"Have you seen Lip?" He asked her.

"I haven't seen anyone". Charlotte replied, "I lost my squad".

She then began to rub the red lipstick off her cheek and lips.

Charlotte said;

"how come they're so happy, sir?"

Winters pulled a face;

"what'd you mean, Lottie? We're liberating them".

"Aye, but – they're really happy, you know?"

"Well, they've been under German command for almost five years". Winters explained to her, "it's been a while since they've last experienced freedom. We don't know how that feels".

When they reached the corner of a street, Winters brought out his binoculars.

Nixon soon wondered over to the pair of them, with Welsh not far behind.

"Dick, clocks ticking". Nixon told him.

"Yeah". Winters replied, lowering the binoculars.

Charlotte soon felt a pair of lips pressed against her.

Nixon pulled a face but soon felt hands reach his face, while a Dutch woman tried to kiss him.

"Thank you…your very kind". Nixon said, trying to pull away from the kissing.

Charlotte gave the woman a smile and a wink, while she stared back slightly confused about kissing another female by accident. Charlotte then noticed the officers stick up their collars, covering up their officer bars.

Charlotte frowned;

"how come you're doing that, sir?"

"Snipers". Winters replied.

"Are they looking for officers, like?"

"Can't be too careful, kiddo". Nixon said and soon smirked, "you're covered in red".

Grinning, Charlotte wiped the lipstick off her lips.

"We've 'gotta get to the bridges". Winters told Nixon.

Giving the Captain a nod, Nixon led the way.

Charlotte was standing still, while another Dutch woman walked over to her.

A smile reached her lips.

But she soon frowned, when Winters grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with them.

"Best stick close, trooper". Winters told her, above the cheers. "Harry? Have you seen Buck or Lip?"

"Yeah". Welsh replied, "saw them pulling the guys away from the girls".

While being dragged along by Winters, Charlotte's ears soon picked up another noise.

It was different from the happy cheers she had been hearing.

This time, the crowd sounded angry.

Frowning a little, her eyes followed the sound.

And she saw a woman being grabbed by two men.

Charlotte's frown deepened and she soon gasped, when the men began to strip off her clothes and shave her hair off with cheap cutters. It caused the woman's head to bleed and the blood rolled down her forehead. Shaking her head, Charlotte tried to pull herself free.

Winters looked down at the girl.

He noticed the look of horror cross her face;

"Lottie?"

Charlotte didn't reply, so, he followed her stare.

The scene left him feeling slightly disturbed, while the women's screams and cries reached his ears and, along with the chanting Dutch, Winters could feel a pit of anger bubble up inside of his stomach. His mother had raised him to have an abiding respect for women and the spectacle offended him. But it wasn't just Winters who was left feeling disturbed and offended, Charlotte was trying her hardest to break free from his hold, just so she could rescue the women.

Winters couldn't allow that to happen.

It could put them all in danger.

So, he tried to pull her away.

Charlotte shook her head;

"no!" She yelled. "Sir! We have to save them!"

"Lottie!" Winters told her firmly, "we can't do anything about it right now, okay? We have a job to do. Follow me, right now".

Charlotte stared up at the man, a look of hurt and disbelief across her face.

Winters ignored the look on her face and continued to drag her away from the scene.

They ended up by Buck and Welsh.

Charlotte still had that same look on her face.

And worst off, they could still see the scene before them taking place.

Only, it got louder, when another woman was dragged into it.

Face scrunching up in anger, Charlotte watched, while she was stripped.

Two men had a firm hold of her, while one of them started to cut off her brown hair.

"What did they do?" Welsh asked, to no one in particular.

"They slept with the Germans". A Dutchman replied.

Buck, Welsh and Winters turned around.

"They are lucky". The same man continued, "the men who collaborated are being shot".

"Mr Van Kooijk here is with the Dutch resistance". Nixon told Winters.

Van Kooijk took a step towards Winters and grabbed the Captain's hand;

"we've been waiting and hoping for this day…for almost five years".

"Say's he can help us secure the bridges here". Nixon added.

The three of them soon walked off.

Buck sighed and looked to where Charlotte was standing.

Or, should have been.

"Shit". The Lieutenant hissed.

"What?" Welsh asked.

Buck sighed, "we've lost goofy".

Charlotte was trying to push her way into the crowd, so she could reach the women.

However, she didn't get very far, when a hand soon grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"The fuck are you doing, Lottie?" Guarnere hissed.

"Let me go!" Charlotte demanded, "I have to get those women, Bill!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" He exclaimed, "don't be a stupid mick, Lottie!"

"Shut up, Bill!" She snapped, "I'm not a stupid mick!"

"You are!" Guarnere stressed.

He managed to pull her away from the crowd.

Guarnere still had a hold of her arm.

"Do you know that those women did, Lottie?"

Charlotte looked angrier now;

"does it fucking matter, Bill?! That shit – that's just fucking cruel, man!"

"Lottie!" Guarnere bit back, "they took the German's side and messed-up the communications!"

"That's not what I heard!" She yelled, "I heard, they slept with the German soldiers, Bill – the soldiers, not a bunch of fucking Nazis!"

"How do you know they weren't fucking Nazis?!" Guarnere demanded.

"Why are you taking their side?!" Charlotte raged, "it's fucking wrong!"

"Lottie…quit being so damn self-righteous!"

"I'm not!" She snapped, pushing Guarnere away from her. "You're just being a fucking arse hole!"

"Ah…fuck it, Lottie!" He snapped back, "do whatever the fuck you want, huh?! See if I give a shit!"

"Fine, I-"

"what the hell is going on?!" Heffron asked, while he and Toye came marching over.

"Stop fighting in the damn streets". Toye told them off, "we're having a party!"

Shaking her head, Charlotte stepped away from them.

"You're all mental!" She accused.

"What?!" Heffron pulled a face, "Lottie, we ain't-"

"how is this a party?!" Charlotte exclaimed, "it's a shite-show!"

There was a moment where no one said anything.

Until Lipton stepped towards them, breaking up the tension.

"Let's go! We're heading to the Dommel River bridge".

**…**

With the bridge secured, the men settled down for the night.

Outposts were set up and for the men who weren't on duty, they were allowed to continue the celebrations in Eindhoven. A lot of men took that opportunity up, but Charlotte had seen enough of that place and was quite happy sitting alone in an outpost.

She hadn't said much since her fight with Guarnere, or what she had witnessed in the town. And the men left her alone, frightened she'd start yelling again. But Charlotte was too tired to yell. Her throat and head hurt. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts and try to forget about the disturbing events she had witnessed.

Though, Charlotte wasn't alone for long.

Buck soon slid in beside her.

Giving the girl a soft smile, he then asked;

"not much to see, goofy?"

Charlotte shook her head.

Her eyes remained glued to the front.

"That's good". Buck said, "we might get a quiet night, huh? I think we all need one of those".

Sighing heavily, Charlotte said very quietly;

"does Bill hate me?"

Sending her a sad sort of smile, Buck shook his head;

"no, goofy. Gurno doesn't hate you". He told her, "you're both similar and I think that clashes. You'll both be fine by tomorrow".

Charlotte then sighed again;

"I think Captain Winters thinks I was being stupid too". She mumbled, "I feel like an arsehole".

Buck chuckled softly;

"you ain't an ass, goofy". He said, "you're a damn good soldier. And maybe you wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes but…I don't think that's always a bad thing".

"I'm still soft, eh?"

Buck shrugged, "sometimes, yeah". He said, "but you know when to toughen up and that's what matters".

"Hey, guys".

The pair of them turned around, when Jackson approached them.

He smiled;

"Lottie, it's my turn for watch". He told her softly, "get some sleep, huh?"

Charlotte gave him a tiny smile back;

"cheers, Jack".

"No problem". Jackson said, "hey, sir".

"Jack". Buck greeted with a grin, "you didn't 'wanna join the party?"

Jackson shook his head, "no…I wanted to stay with Lottie".

Charlotte felt her heart melt;

"thanks, Jack".

Making the switch, Charlotte left the outpost.

While checking for a place to sleep, Charlotte was soon stopped by Winters.

He was checking in on the men, for those who decided to stay.

And he gave Charlotte a smile;

"are you 'gonna get some sleep, trooper?"

Feeling herself frown, Charlotte nodded.

"Sir?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I know I can't be saving the world or that". She mumbled, "'am not smart enough to do that and 'am too small and stumpy…but I just wanted to help those women, sir".

Tilting his head to the side, Winters frowned a little.

"I thought…I thought like, if I was in their shoes then I'd want to be saved. Cause I thought I should be saving them…cause I couldn't save mum but maybe I could help them". Charlotte whispered. She lifted her head and looked up at him, "does that make any sense, sir?"

Winters nodded;

"yeah, it does". He said quietly, "and you're a good person, for wanting to save them, Lottie".

Sighing softly, he then added;

"but you can't".

Charlotte's frown deepened;

"aye…I know".

"Not right now". Winters added.

The frown slowly fell from her face.

Giving her a tiny smile, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

And he crouched a little, so they were eye level.

"You can help them by winning this war with us". Winters said softly, "once we win the war, the world should be a better place, Lottie. And if not for everyone, at least for some. Some wonder why we're here and why we're fighting".

Charlotte nodded;

"I do sometimes, sir". She whispered, "like…I don't get it sometimes. Why did Hitler invade Poland?"

Winters shook his head;

"power, greed…maybe. He tells us that it was a defensive action. But we believe, he just wanted to expand and take over as many countries in Europe, as he can".

"My friend Irena left Poland with her family". She whispered, "she said it was 'gonna be dangerous for her people to live there, sir".

"Her people, trooper?" Winters queried.

Charlotte nodded, "well – they're Jewish, sir…so, it's something to do with that".

He sighed, "it's not news that Hitler dislikes Jews".

She frowned;

"why?"

Winters shook his head, "I'm not sure, trooper. Maybe he's scared".

"That's weird". Charlotte mumbled, "hating things 'cause you're scared". She then added, "but I guess I'm kind of used to it. Cause not a lot of people would like me…if they knew".

He frowned again and squeezed her shoulder;

"we would still like you". He told her softly, "Lottie, when you joined Easy and when they learned that you could be a good soldier, they didn't see gender. They only saw you and your strength and resilience. And I see that in each and every one of you".

"So…it didn't matter after a while?" Charlotte asked.

Winters shook his head;

"no, Lottie".

She smiled a little;

"would be nice if everyone was like that, sir".

Winters smiled back;

"maybe one day, huh?"

Charlotte added;

"that's when we'll know we've saved the world, sir. When everyone just gets along".


	27. Chapter 26

After a restless sleep, the troops woke up early the next morning.

They were headed for Helmond, eight miles east from their current position. Easy was on point again, with six British tanks to keep them company. Charlotte was munching on a cookie which Malarkey handed to her upon waking up. It was a tasty and sweet surprise for her that morning and the sugar rush felt great.

Finishing off her cookie, she rubbed the crumbs away from her hands and mouth, before jogging over to Guarnere. If anything, the man still looked pissed off from their fight yesterday and Charlotte had every intention of apologising to him about the way she acted. But the man simply walked by her, as if he hadn't noticed his best friend.

Frowning, she turned and watched him walk off.

"Lottie, come on!" Toye called after her, "we're moving out – on foot!"

Half of the men sat atop the tanks, getting a free ride to Helmond but Toye wanted his squad to move by foot. Charlotte never questioned it, only Jackson had something to say;

"this sucks". He grumbled, "the guys are having a damn picnic and we're walking".

"Shut the hell up, Jack". Toye told him off, "quit feeling so damn sorry for yourself".

"Men must walk by foot, Jack". Potter said, "in order to feel the journey".

Jackson rolled his eyes, "Geo, we love you, right? But man…you sure talk a lot of shit, huh?"

Campbell laughed, "go easy on Geo, Jack". He said, "we'd be lost without his quotes".

"I sure like them". Kiehn added lightly, "where'd you learn 'em, Geo?"

"The folks at home, Will". Potter replied.

Heffron, who was walking behind Charlotte, gave her back a gentle nudge;

"hey, you still think we're mental?"

Frowning, she shook her head.

"Good". Heffron let out a tiny laugh, "listen – you spoken to Bill yet?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"not yet". She mumbled, "how?"

He shrugged and let out a sigh;

"you two better sort this shit out, Lottie. It ain't good to be falling out".

"Babe, we haven't fallen out". She said, "we just had a wee fight".

"Well, if it's so little, then how come you aren't speaking?"

Looking over her shoulder, she stared up at him;

"I tried to". Charlotte said, with a sad frown, "but he walked right by me…as if I weren't even there".

Facing the front again, she missed Heffron's frown.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Lottie". He said quietly, "probably had something on his mind. You know what Bill's like".

Charlotte shrugged and fell silent again.

They continued their march alongside the tanks across the flat Dutch countryside. The men atop the tanks had themselves a picnic, while keeping an eye out of any trouble. They didn't pass much during those first few miles, but Charlotte did end up walking by a woman who held her small baby in her arms. Her clothes were torn, and her head was shaven. She held a box of rations in her other hand, meaning a man must have given her something to eat up ahead.

Charlotte looked up and the woman's eyes met hers.

Feeling her throat tighten, Charlotte quickly looked away.

Giving her head a tiny shake, she let out a sigh and tried to forget about it.

When the men began to go through the small hamlet of Nuenen, the march soon came to a sudden halt. Brewer stepped off the tank and stood in the middle of the road, looking through his binoculars. Charlotte didn't see but she could hear men muttered;

"what the hell is he doing?"

"Lieutenant!" Bull yelled, who was at the front.

When Brewer went to face the Sargent, one shot rang out and hit him in the neck.

"Sniper!" Someone yelled.

A few moments later, James Miller yelled;

"Sarge!"

A German Tiger soon came rushing through the field opposite them.

Quickly, everyone jumped down from the tank and dove into one of the ditches on either side of the road. The British tanks lined up their target and fired out towards the Tiger. All the while, that same sniper tried to take down Bull, who had run over to help Brewer. A second fire was shot from the Brits, taking down the Tiger. But the men were still pinned down by that same sniper, unable to move from the ditch.

Things took a serious turn, when the sniper hit the medic who went up to help the fallen Lieutenant. And shortly after, the men were ordered to move up. There, they got up from the ditch and sprinted under sniper fire towards whatever cover they could find inside the hamlet.

Behind her, Charlotte had Potter, Hayes and Jackson.

The four of them took cover behind a farmhouse.

It was quiet inside the hamlet.

And Charlotte peeked around the corner, wondering where the Germans had gotten too. Frowning, she moved back and looked up at her three friends, shrugging;

"fuck knows where they've gone". She mumbled.

Hayes sighed, "it can't be over, Lottie".

"It's not". She whispered, "they're probably hiding out or something".

"What do we do?" Jackson wondered.

"We've got good cover here". Charlotte replied, "we'll keep an eye out within this area and alert our pals opposite us".

Frowning, Potter leaned forward and looked around the corner.

There, he could spot Martin leading a couple of squads.

They had taken cover in front of a café.

Pulling back, Potter retook his cover and nodded;

"well, alright, Lottie". He said, "we'll just listen to you now…God has put in charge for a reason".

Frowning a little, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah, man – look, let's just see what happens, eh? Best be on our toes".

The three of them nodded in agreement.

Minutes must have gone by, before something happened.

But even then, nothing was done about it straight away.

Bull had spotted a Tiger, nestled away and hiding. There, he alerted Martin, who then grabbed Heffron and the pair of them went over to inform the British. Apparently, the Brits were ordered not to cause any unnecessary property damage and, seeing as he couldn't spot the Tiger, he couldn't shoot.

So, the tanks moved up, searching for this Tiger.

Charlotte peered around the corner, watching the tanks roll up the road.

Seconds later, the Tiger blasted its cannon and hit the tank behind the lead one.

Another shell soon exploded and hit the side of a house, causing Easy men to flee from their cover. Things happened so quickly; it went from zero to one hundred in a matter of minutes. Facing her three friends, she assured them;

"we're fine! It's just one Tiger, we're 'gonna be fine!"

"Lottie?! What do we do?!" Hayes asked.

Rubbing her lips together, she pointed in the other direction;

"head that way!" She ordered, "we can't let the Germans get through this village!"

Another shell exploded from a distance.

Charlotte placed one hand above her helmet;

"we have to block them!" She said, "Chuck will have that bazooka! He can take care of the tank, let's worry about things we can shoot – like the infantry!"

With another nod from her friends, Charlotte took the lead.

Moving down the side of the farmhouse, she looked around the corner.

There, she could spot a group of Germans putting up an MG-42.

Turning back to face her friends, she gave them the signal to move up.

When they reached her, she pointed towards the Germans;

"grenades first". She told them quietly, "Jack, Geo – go".

The Germans were setting up at the entrance of a field.

But when Jackson and Potter threw their grenades, the Germans cleared off.

Charlotte and Hayes shot at the fleeing Germans. Once the nest was no more, the four of them continued to move down the back of the farmhouse. Charlotte stepped over a dead body once they reached the entrance of the field. Crouching down, she peered around the corner and heard a familiar rumble and Germans yelling.

Through the tall grass, she could spot the Tigers cannon.

"Fuck". She hissed, before turning to her friends, "fall back, we're fucked here".

"What?" Jackson wondered.

Charlotte gave him a push;

"Tigers and shit – come on, man!" She urged.

Soon, the four of them were rushing back towards their original cover.

The Germans which Charlotte had spotted, were soon entering the village. The Tigers fired out, while they rushed down the roads, while the Germans ran alongside with them. When a shell hit the back of the farmhouse, Charlotte and her three friends ran up the village but were soon face to face with a Tiger. Shaking her head, she felt someone grab her arm and pull her off to the side. But the cannon was aimed at something else and tried to shoot the British tank.

Nuenen had never been so loud.

Rifles were firing, machine-guns blazing, mortars were going off and tank shells were destroying houses, buildings and other tanks. It was complete chaos. Charlotte wondered how she was still able to think. But it turns out, her brain wasn't completely switched on. For when she counted her friends, one was missing;

"where's Geo?"

Hayes and Jackson looked back at her, shaking their heads and shrugging.

Frowning, she moved by them and looked around the corner.

There, she spotted Potter lying out on the road.

"Geo!" She called.

The man didn't respond.

"What the fuck?" She whispered.

Charlotte turned to face Jackson and Hayes;

"why isn't he answering?!"

Jackson frowned;

"maybe he's-"

"fuck off, Jack!" She yelled, "he's not – he's not fucking dead!"

Biting her lower lip, she then told them;

"go back to Toye!" She said, "I'll get Geo!"

Jackson pulled an angry frown;

"no, way!" He argued, "we're not leaving you!"

"Jack!" She yelled, "it's not fucking safe here-"

"exactly!" He cut her off, "which is why we ain't leaving you!"

Charlotte reached up and grabbed his jacket;

"move your fucking arses back to Joe! We're outnumbered, you idiot! Geo isn't dead and I'm going to get him!"

Jackson blinked a few times;

"Lotte?"

Charlotte gave him a push and let go of his jacket;

"go!" She ordered.

Facing Potter again, Charlotte gripped her rifle tightly.

It shook in her hands, when another shell exploded nearby.

Her heart was racing, her mouth was dry.

Adrenaline pumped through her body, causing her head to spin.

Charlotte had this determined look across her face, confident in her plan of action.

She'd drag Potter back to safety, that's all she had to do.

Potter wasn't a heavy guy, he was tall, but he wasn't heavy.

Charlotte figured it would be easy to get him back.

However, that confidence slightly crumbled.

The noise and scene out in front of her was terrible. She saw Tigers chasing after men, and German infantry swamp the streets like hornets. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Jackson and Hayes had left. Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte faced Potter again.

Taking in a few deep breaths, she got up and ran.

Once by her friend's side, Charlotte placed a hand on the side of his face;

"Geo?" She called out, "Geo?"

Slowly, one of his eyes opened;

"Lottie?"

Charlotte smiled a little;

"you lost your helmet, Geo…something must've hit your head, man".

Potter closed his eyes again;

"what's going on, Lottie?" He asked, "am I dying?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte grabbed his hand;

"I'm going to look after you". She promised.

"God told me you would".

Charlotte choked out a little laugh;

"I'm sure he did, Geo".

Potter passed-out again.

Charlotte knew he needed a medic right away.

So, she tried calling for one first;

"medic!"

And she hated to do so, seeing as their medics would need to go through this hell to get to her. However, moments after she yelled for a medic, Roe soon came to the rescue. Charlotte felt her shoulders drop with relief;

"thank God". She mumbled, "doc, it's his head!"

Roe spotted the gash pretty quickly.

After sprinkling some sulphur power into the wound, he bandaged it up.

He then looked at Charlotte;

"we're falling back, Gallagher!" He told her, "don't wait around here for too long!"

Giving him a nod, Charlotte then helped place Potter over Roe's shoulder.

With a lot of men running for the road, Charlotte decided to follow in their footsteps. Boots smacking against the gravel, she kicked up dust, while bullets followed after her. Running the fastest she could, Charlotte was sure to make it.

However, just as she was running near a ditch, something hard smacking into her forehead.

She fell back, landing harshly on the ground, with a huff.

Feeling blood roll down her face, she rolled into the ditch.

With her past experience with taking a blow to the head, Charlotte felt the same sort of symptoms. Only this time, they were ten times worse. She crawled for a few seconds, in a last attempt to make it back to safety. But soon enough, her eyes closed.

And she lay on her stomach, unconscious.

**…**

A sickening feeling reached her stomach.

It was the first feeling Charlotte felt, before even opening her eyes.

Letting out a tiny groan, her head rolled to the side and she vomited.

A large hand rubbed her back;

"alright there, Lottie?"

Charlotte let out another tiny groan;

"the fuck?" She asked, voice slurring.

"You got knocked out". The voice told her, "and I found you lying here".

"What'd you mean?" Charlotte sounded confused, "the fuck you talking about?"

He snorted, "Jesus, you try and be nice, huh? And then you get all this damn abuse back".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte spat out the foul taste in her mouth.

"I 'gotta move you, we're pulling out". He told her, "I'm 'gonna pick you up".

Seconds later, her limp body was in the air.

Soon, her head landed on his shoulder.

Charlotte still had her eyes closed;

"Johnny?"

Martin smiled, "glad you remembered your old drinking buddy, Lottie".

He was running down the road.

Nixon had arrived with trucks, to take the men back to a safer position. They had to retreat. And it wasn't a nice feeling. However, Charlotte wasn't aware of that, she only knew that her head hurt, Martin was carrying her, and she had just vomited.

"How's that head feeling, kid?" Martin asked.

Charlotte sighed;

"like shit". She mumbled, "a big bag of shit".

"Good imagine". Martin remarked, "don't worry, huh? Doc will sort you out".

"This happens all the time with me". She slurred, "I'm a pure idiot".

He shook his head;

"nah…you just attract heavy objects to your head. It ain't your fault".

"True – that's the truth". She said.

When they neared the back of a truck, Guarnere got up and shook his head;

"the hell happened to her?!" He demanded, "dammit, Lottie!"

Martin handed Charlotte over to Guarnere, who soon set her down on the bench, careful not to hit Buck, who was lying on his side on the floor. Martin jumped on next and sat down next to Guarnere.

"Where's the Bull?"

Martin shook his head;

"don't know".

Charlotte eventually opened her eyes.

The first person she saw was Buck.

He was staring back at her;

"goofy". He said, "it's always the head, huh?"

She shrugged one shoulder;

"how come you're lying down?"

"Got shot in the ass".

Charlotte pulled a face;

"that's not right". She mumbled, "that's just – why the fuck do the Krauts keep on shooting folk in the arse?"

A moment of silence went by, while the trucks sped off away from the village.

It was a lucky escape.

And Charlotte's brain was starting to work again.

She remembered Potter first and Roe helping.

They were overrun by Germans. Easy didn't stand a chance.

When they reached Eindhoven, the wounded remained on the trucks.

Charlotte figured she'd be fine and jumped off.

Feet touching the ground, the town was quiet.

Looking around, she saw the Dutch close their windows, doors and take away their orange flags. Winters gathered his men up and they marched through the town. When they reached Tongelre, a suburb of Eindhoven, Winters ordered his men to dig in.

It was after nine at night, when they reached the suburb.

The air felt still and quiet, while the weary troopers bedded down for the night.

Charlotte was digging herself a pretty sorry excuse for a foxhole. It was shallow but she was too exhausted to finish. Sitting down in the mud, she took off her helmet. Charlotte pressed a gentle hand up to her forehead and hissed. Her skin was sticky from dried blood and she could feel a tiny slice cutting into her flesh.

"Lottie".

Looking up, she saw Guarnere standing in front of her foxhole.

Biting her lower lip, she looked away from him;

"hey, Bill". She greeted back quietly.

Sighing, Guarnere sat down next to her.

Clearing her throat, she said;

"'bout yesterday, man-"

"forget it". Guarnere said softly, "was nothing, pal".

Lips twitching, she looked back up at him.

But her lips turned into a frown.

"What?" She asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

Sighing, Guarnere rubbed the back of his neck;

"Punchy's dead". He said, "tank got him".

Charlotte blinked a few times.

"Jesus". She whispered.

Rubbing his lips together, Guarnere bobbed his head;

"yeah…it's shit, Lottie".

_ Diel. _

He was their old Platoon Sargent and later 1st Sargent in Normandy.

He had been promoted to 2nd Lieutenant before they left for Holland.

That almost seemed like years ago.

Sighing, Charlotte swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"We lost four guys today". Guarnere mumbled, "eleven wounded".

"Four?" She whispered.

Guarnere nodded;

"yeah". He whispered back.

Guarnere didn't say anything for a moment.

Charlotte desperately searched his eyes.

She grabbed onto his forearm and Guarnere looked down, meeting her stare.

"It's Geo, eh?" She asked, voice cracking.

Guarnere shook his head;

"nah, he's 'gonna be fine, Lottie".

He tossed his arm around her shoulders.

Letting out a long sigh, Charlotte leaned into his side.

"I was just thinking, Lottie". He whispered, "we shouldn't be fighting and screaming at each other out here, huh? What if something happens…".

Charlotte wrapped her arm around his waist;

"Bill, I still love you loads". She told him, "brothers and sisters fight, eh?"

Guarnere gave a tiny nod;

"true". He mused, "I hate fucking arguing with you".

He then added;

"and I get why you was mad, Lottie". He said quietly, "I ain't a broad but…that must have been hard for you to see".

Charlotte shook her head;

"it's fine, Bill". She mumbled.

She then said;

"alright, stop being a sentimental Sally".

Guarnere snorted, "shut your yap…you're the baby".

Charlotte felt a tiny smile reach her lips;

"what we 'gonna be doing about Bull?"

"We're 'gonna find him and bring him home".

Pulling back from the one-armed hug, she looked up at him;

"what's the plan, man?"

"We could get a few squads to scout the area". Guarnere said, "we'll round up some of the fellas".

"Good plan". She mumbled, "by foot?"

"That's all we've got, Lottie".

Looking over her shoulder, she soon spotted a jeep;

"is that right, Bill?"

Following her stare, Guarnere snorted;

"you're fucking mad, Lottie". He said, "quit thinking like me, huh?"

He then added;

"too dangerous anyway, Lottie". Guarnere said, "we 'gotta move quietly, you understand?"

"Aye, I can do that".

He gave her a knowing look;

"Jesus, Lottie…you're Laurel, remember? You can't do nothing quietly".

She tutted;

"don't be daft…course I can, you numpty".

Guarnere raised an eyebrow;

"alright…so, what's your plan?"

Charlotte shrugged, "me, Jack and Babe can go".

"What about Joe and Jim? And the rest of your squad?"

"They can search a different place". She said.

"Lottie, you ain't Joe's assistant". Guarnere reminded her, "Jim should lead the other half".

"Aye but – less is more, man". Charlotte said, "we should take out wee squads and cover more ground".

"What if you run into trouble?"

"Then we run like fuck?"

Guarnere snorted but soon sighed;

"alright – fine. You head out with Babe and Jack – I'll let Joe know".

However, before her bum left the earth, Roe was soon in front of her.

"You ain't going nowhere, Gallagher". He said, "not with a wound like that".

Charlotte almost whined;

"eh? Come on, doc. It's just a wee cut".

"It ain't". He told her, "sit down, let me take care of you".

Guarnere gave her shoulder a clap;

"you 'gonna be alright on your own…you baby?"

Charlotte sent him a tiny glare;

"aye, fine". She muttered, "go and find Bull, eh?"

He gave her a friendly wink;

"will do, Lottie".

Roe cleaned her wound and bandaged it up giving her the order to;

"rest and tell me if you feel sick or dizzy".

Shortly after Roe left her, the Germans decided to bomb Eindhoven.

Charlotte got onto her feet and watched the town blaze up in flames.

"Jesus". She whispered.

It was frightening.

Charlotte could feel her heart hammer against her chest.

A hand was soon placed on her shoulder.

Charlotte looked up and saw Welsh standing next to her.

Her eyes widened;

"what…what happens now, sir?"

He sighed;

"not sure, kid". He replied honestly, "they won't be happy tomorrow".

Frowning, Charlotte faced the burning city again.

No one got a lot of sleep that night.


	28. Chapter 27

A grey cloud hung over Easy the next morning.

Though, it was lifted, when Bull turned up.

He was wounded but alive. And everyone was relieved to have him back again.

With Bull's return, the men of Easy weren't given much time to rest and regroup. They were soon ordered to move out once again, heading for Uden. According to the Dutch underground, a large enemy force was moving in their direction. They didn't get told an awful lot, just that 1st Platoon were to be loaded up into the trucks, along with some of the injured men.

Charlotte, along with 2nd Platoon and 3rd, walked.

Things were going smoothly, until the Germans decided to cut the road.

It was pretty chaotic.

Charlotte wasn't sure which way to go, until Heffron grabbed her arm.

The pair of them ran, following in behind nine others from their Platoon.

She couldn't work out where the rest were and she didn't have time to check, because Heffron wouldn't let go of her arm. Charlotte continued to run, while the tanks blasted away behind them. They ran up the road and soon entered Uden, the village four miles away from Veghel, where the other men had ended up. When they reached the place, Charlotte panted and placed her hands on her knees, shaking her head;

"the fuck?"

"No idea". Campbell mumbled, "they cut us in half".

"Only nine of us made it". Toye muttered, "the other fellas from our Platoon are stuck in Veghel".

Heffron frowned;

"the Krauts are meant to attack this place – what the hell are we supposed to do?!"

Looking up, Charlotte said;

"Winters will think of something, Babe". She assured him, "he's good at that".

Soon enough, Winters and Nixon came jogging towards the nine of them.

"How did you get out of that one?" Winters asked, "the Germans cut the entire highway".

Toye shook his head;

"no idea, sir". He said, "we ran like hell…but the rest of 2nd are stuck in Veghel".

"Well, we're surrounded". Winters informed them, "come with me".

Soon, the nine of them were following the two Captains to where 1st Platoon was currently positioned. And from there, they could see a German patrol headed in their direction.

When Winters gave the order to fire, their weapons blazed to life.

Several of the Germans went down, while the rest retreated with their wounded.

Charlotte had it in her head, that the Germans were going to shell the seven hells out of Uden. But as it turned out, the enemy began to bomb Veghel instead, where their friends were. The nine of them watched in silence, while the Luftwaffe bombed them from the sky and the tanks shelled them from the ground. Winters had set up roadblocks in every entrance into Uden but the nine friends from 2nd Platoon watched in horror, fearing that their friends wouldn't make it.

"Lottie?"

Turning away from the blazing village, she looked at Lipton.

"What's up, Lip?"

He gave her a nod;

"need your help with something, buddy". Lipton told her.

"Aye, no bother". Charlotte replied softly, with a tiny smile.

She followed Lipton across the street and into a house, where Winters set up CP. It belonged to a family and the owner kindly gave Winters his home, while the family stayed in the safety of their basement underneath. Entering the living area, she spotted Winters and Nixon sitting at the table, with maps laid out in front of them.

Charlotte gave them a tiny smile, before taking off her helmet;

"how's it going, sirs?"

"Lottie". Nixon greeted, "you're good at taking things apart and putting them back together, right?"

She shrugged;

"I'll give it a bash, sir".

Nixon placed a packet of cigarettes on the table;

"this could be your payment…providing you fix this damn radio".

Feeling her lips twitch, Charlotte agreed to those terms;

"you've got yourself a deal, sir".

Nixon grinned, "great – take a seat, kiddo".

Taking a seat at the table, the Captain pushed the radio over to her.

The back was off, showing off its insides.

"Is it just not turning on, sir?" Charlotte mumbled.

Nixon sighed, "nope – can you fix it?"

She shrugged;

"aye, maybe".

While Charlotte began to carefully remove the wires, Lipton sat back down and went over the maps with Winters. While Nixon pulled out a bottle of Vat 69 and took a long and hard drink, with a satisfied sigh at the end. He then poured some into his flask.

"That stuffs 'gonna kill you one day, Nix". Winters commented.

Nixon held up his flask and grinned;

"here's to that day".

Charlotte hid a smile;

"here, Cap Nix?"

"Yeah?"

"You know us Scots invented that brand, eh?" Charlotte told him with a grin, "the guys who made it, produced it across the Bridge from where I stayed".

"Lucky you, kiddo". Nixon said, "must have been like living next to Royalty".

She snorted, "nah, sir…we have Holyrood Palace for the likes of that. Our King sometimes spends his summers there…folk get proper wild over the bloke".

"And you don't?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"he's alright, sir". She mumbled, "had a bit trouble with speaking and that once upon a time. He had a stammer or something".

"I heard about that". Nixon said, "how'd he get over it?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"I'm not sure, sir".

She then grinned;

"maybe that bloke who sleeps with horses and his mum had something to do with it, eh?"

Nixon laughed, "oh, you mean Freud?"

Lipton pulled a face;

"what?"

Winters sighed and shook his head, "for the last time, Lottie-"

"aye, I know, sir". Charlotte said softly, "but here – that bloke's always going on about that type of stuff, eh?" She shook her head, "maybe he should have been looked at".

"I couldn't spend all day listening to people's problems". Lipton said.

She smirked;

"no offence, Sargent…but you already sort of do, eh?"

Lipton chuckled, while he continued to stare at the map;

"shut up, buddy".

Nixon took another drink of his whiskey;

"hey, kiddo?" He asked her, "where did you learn to take stuff apart?"

"Always liked doing that, sir". Charlotte replied quietly, "like – I used to play around with my dad's radio loads of times…but when I started smashing light bulbs to look inside of them, my parents went pure mental on me, eh? Say's I was pouring shitting money down the sink".

Winters smiled;

"I can imagine them saying that, trooper".

She sighed;

"aye, well…I was a wee bit curious as a kid".

"Did you find out how it worked?" Nixon asked her, "you know, with the light bulbs?"

Charlotte smiled a little;

"aye, I did". She said, "I went to the library with my smashed-up light bulb and asked the wifey behind the desk where I could learn about wires and shit". Charlotte told him, "so, she writes me a list of books and I sat down and read about how the bleeding thing glows up".

Winters asked her;

"why didn't you study engineering or physics at college?"

She snorted;

"sir, not loads of girls study those things, eh? And you'd need a good grade from school. I didn't, eh? Cause at my school, girls weren't taught about engineering or that".

"What were you taught at school?" Nixon asked, with a tiny frown.

Charlotte raised her eyebrow and looked at him;

"you don't know, sir?"

He shook his head;

"well…ain't it something to do with running a house?"

"Aye, basically". She mumbled, "how to clean and that. We were taught this thing called domestic subjects. Like, how to clean certain rooms in a house. Needlework too. And how to do the laundry".

"What about math?" Lipton asked her.

Charlotte shrugged;

"well…suppose there was some math to it". She said, "like…when you're measuring out ingredients for a fucking shepherd's pie".

Nixon snorted, "take it you weren't a fan, kiddo?"

"Nah…not really, sir". She mumbled, "it's why I went to the library all the time, eh? I wanted to learn other things too, not just how to run a house".

"Wait – what about writing and reading?" Lipton asked, "you learn that?"

Charlotte nodded;

"course, Lip". She said softly, "but…just basics, eh? I reckon they didn't want us being smarter than the men, eh? No offence to you's, eh? Just how it is, I take it". Charlotte shrugged, "I don't think I'm smart or that but…would have been nice to have been taught how to subtract numbers, add up, divide and multiply". She then added, "I learned more when I joined Easy than I did at my old school".

The three of them stared at Charlotte quietly, while she continued to work on the radio.

She cleared her throat;

"anyway…it's fine, eh? I learned loads in the library and that".

Leaning back in his chair, Winters smiled;

"how does a light bulb glow, trooper?"

Looking up at him, she frowned;

"eh? You don't know, sir?"

Winters shook his head, "no, I don't – will you tell me?"

Feeling her lips twitch, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, alright, then". She said, "electricity flows through a thin tungsten wire in the light bulb called the filament. The filament used in the bulb has a property called resistance. Resistance is the amount of friction that an object will put against electricity flowing through it. A filament has loads of resistance to electricity. Which means the filament heats up and starts to glow, converting electrical energy to light energy…".

The three men listened to Charlotte explain how a bulb worked.

Of course, they already knew how a bulb worked.

A lot did.

But Winters wanted to give her a platform to explain something she had researched and taught herself, for probably the first time in her life. And when she finished, Winters smiled;

"well, there you go".

Nixon sighed, "man…that's a lot of information to take in, Lottie".

Charlotte smiled and got to work on the radio again;

"cheers for not falling asleep or that".

**…**

Charlotte was standing outside with a few British tank members.

They were stationed at the roadblock, at the northwest end of Uden.

She didn't mind the three guys from England. They were nice enough to her.

They leaned against the tank, shared stories from back home and looked out for any sign of trouble. So far, things had been quiet. That was of course, until Winters stopped by.

Charlotte smiled up at him;

"hello, sir".

"Lottie". He greeted.

And soon frowned;

"where is everyone?"

"Well…Lieutenant Welsh took the squad cause they heard a noise, sir. And I 'dunno where their officer is, sir – where'd you say he was?" She then asked one of the guys.

The Brit pointed to a house;

"he's in there, Captain".

Winters looked pissed.

Understandably.

He took a hold of Charlotte's shoulder;

"you're with me – guys, keep an eye on the road".

Winters led Charlotte up to the house and hammered against the front door.

Charlotte flinched and used her free hand to rub her ears.

Seconds later, a young maid answered.

"I want to see the solider". Winters told her.

However, the young maid gave him a blank look.

Charlotte looked up at him;

"don't think she speaks English, sir".

Winters sighed;

"you think, Lottie?" He remarked, sounding tense.

Frowning a little, Charlotte gave the maid a smile.

"Eh – Soldat?" She asked.

The maid stared blankly at Charlotte next.

Charlotte pointed to Winters uniform;

"Soldat".

The maid soon smiled and nodded, "Die Soldaat". She waved them both inside, "Binnekom".

Winters and Charlotte stepped inside the large and glamorous house.

Letting out a whistle, Charlotte stared up at the high ceilings;

"sir, these folk are pure loaded with money, eh?"

"Volg Mij". Said the maid.

Charlotte continued to look around her, eyes going from the chandelier to the fine art on the walls. Shaking her head, she stood still;

"Jesus…imagine having all this money, eh? Christ, you'd get bored of spending all the-"

"Charlotte!" Winters snapped.

Blinking, she looked his way.

He sent her a firm look;

"get over here, now".

Jogging to catch up with them, Charlotte followed Winters and the maid along the mahogany hallway to a set of large, ornate doors. Opening them, they soon found themselves standing in a lavishly furnished living room, where they soon found a lovely young Dutch woman sharing a meal with the British tank Commander.

The woman was simply beautiful.

Charlotte had to rub her eyes a few times, making sure this wasn't some kind of brilliant dream.

She took a step forward, wanting so badly to join the meal but Winters yanked her back.

The tank Commander soon looked at Winters;

"are my tanks outside yet, old chap?" He asked.

And Winters blew-up;

"what the hell's the matter with you?!" He fumed, "in case it has escaped your notice, we're surrounded. The dammed Germans could walk into this town at any time. What would you have done if I'd been a Kraut? Get the hell out there where you belong!"

The tank Commander jumped to his feet, saluted quickly and ran out of the room.

The Dutch woman looked shocked.

Winters sent her a soft and kind smile, with a nod.

And he turned to leave.

However, Charlotte didn't.

Giving the Dutch woman a tiny wave, she smiled shyly.

"Hi". Charlotte whispered.

Sighing, Winters grabbed her arm;

"come on, Lottie…".

When they left the house, the Captain then moved onto the next problem.

Looking down at Charlotte, he asked her;

"where did Lieutenant Welsh hear the noise, trooper?"

Smiling at him, she replied lightly;

"no problem, sir…I'll show you. It's not too far from here".

Winters smiled back, thinking he was worrying over nothing.

However, when they moved down the street, his stomach started to bubble away with anger. Especially when Charlotte stopped outside of a pub;

"said it was in there, sir". She told him quietly, "they've been in there for ages, eh? So, must have been important".

Winters pulled a face and looked back down at her;

"Lottie…do you know what we're standing in front of?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"nah, sir – this is my first time inside this town, eh?"

Letting out a long sigh, Winters could feel his head start to hurt.

Clearing his throat, he squashed the irritated feeling and said;

"no problem, trooper – but, this is a pub".

It took a few seconds for Charlotte to finally understand what the issue was.

And when she realised, the girl sighed;

"shit".

"Yup". Winters mumbled.

"I'm a pure numpty".

Shaking his head, he clapped her shoulder;

"you had another 'goofy' moment". He said.

When they entered the pub, sure enough, the men inside were sleeping or lounging around. Some of the men were at the bar with Welsh, drunk and half asleep. Winters gave Charlotte a tiny nudge forward;

"get the men up". He ordered her, "I'm 'gonna speak with Lieutenant Welsh outside".

**…**

The Germans continued to bomb Veghel all night.

And in the morning.

Continuing onto the next night.

With the Germans not interested in Uden, the men of Easy were left on roadblock and outpost duty for most of the time. They still had to move carefully, as the odd German round was shot out if they spotted a man moving from one place to another. Charlotte did most of her moving during the night. As did many of the men.

They slept outside, during the pouring rain.

Soaking wet, Charlotte turned to Campbell;

"pretty grim, eh?"

"Just a little". He replied quietly, "did you get those smokes from Nix?"

She smiled, "fixed the radio, did I not?"

Campbell snorted, "fancy sparing one, Lottie? I ran out yesterday".

"Aye, man".

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the packet;

"take the lot, eh? I've got enough".

Campbell frowned;

"you sure?"

She gave him a smile and a nod, "aye, it's fine, Jim".

Taking the pack, he placed it safely into his jacket pocket.

And then sighed;

"me and Mary are having some issues".

Charlotte frowned, "how?"

Campbell shrugged, "she don't 'wanna wait around for me-"

"eh?!" She exclaimed, "that's fucking weird, man…you've not been married a year yet".

"I know". He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What you thinking, like?" Charlotte asked.

Campbell sighed;

"she was in it for the money? Like those other broads did".

Charlotte pulled a face, "that's fucking disgusting, eh?"

"Yeah?"

"Aye". She stressed, "Christ, Jim. That's putting a bet on a man's life, you know? How low do you need to go, for a few bob?"

Campbell shook his head, "I 'dunno, Lottie…maybe I was stupid for thinking we could work out, huh?"

Charlotte frowned.

Placing a hand on his arm, she said;

"you're not stupid, man". She mumbled softly, "if anything, Mary's just a wee manipulative cow".

"Lottie!" Campbell exclaimed, eyes widening. "That's my wife you're talking about!"

"Aye, well – you're my pal, Jim". Charlotte said, "if someone's being a pure dick to you, then I'm not 'gonna hold back. That's just shocking if that's the only reason she married you".

Shaking her head, she added;

"you need to be seeing a fucking bloke like Freud, if you think that's morally right".

Raising an eyebrow, Campbell looked at her;

"you hate that guy".

"Nah – I don't hate him, Jim". She said, "just think he's a weird one for fucking a horse, eh?"

He laughed;

"Lottie…he didn't fuck a horse-"

"then why mention it in the first place?"

He shrugged, "he was referring to something else".

Pulling a face, Charlotte looked disturbed.

"What the hell, goes through someone's fucking head – to come up with the conclusion, that you 'wanna go to bed with a horse, Jim? What sick fuck, thinks that?"

Campbell laughed again;

"Jesus, Lottie…you've really got it in for that guy, huh?"

She shook her head;

"I 'dunno, man…it's like my thing with frogs, eh? Just can't stand the bastards".

Chuckling again, Campbell wrapped his arm around her;

"well, Lottie…you sure brighten up my mood".

She leaned into his side;

"aye?"

He nodded, "yup. Your hatred for frogs and Freud, they really make my day".

The humour and lightness suddenly dropped, as if the mood fell deep into the soggy earth. The sky lit up in orange flames, a fury of fire and fight. Charlotte wanted to believe that her friends were okay, but her stomach and heart hurt at the thought of the worst things possible.

The next afternoon, after a wet morning and a restless night, Colonel Chase arrived with the men trapped inside Veghel.

Including the balance of Easy.

Charlotte pushed her way to the front;

"where is he?" She demanded, with a determined look on her face. "Where is he?!"

Standing there, in the middle of it all, was Guarnere.

Shoulders dropping in relief, Charlotte quickly made her way towards him.

The man smiled when he noticed his best pal.

"Lottie – I can't believe you fucking left me in that damned place!"

Choking out a laugh, Charlotte shook her head;

"aye? Well, you left me in this fucking place, man".

The smile soon left her face slowly;

"you alright, then?" She asked, "no cuts or that?"

Guarnere shook his head, "clean as a whistle, Lottie – you good?"

"Me? Aye. The Krauts weren't interested in us, Bill".

"Lucky you, huh?"

Letting out a long and shaky sigh, Charlotte pointed her finger at him;

"you arse, I was fucking worried".

"I knew you would be". He said, "cause you're a fucking baby, huh?"

A brittle smile met her face.

While tears filled her eyes;

"shut the fuck up". She mumbled thickly.

Snorting, Guarnere sighed;

"Jesus, huh?"

"I missed you – you prick".

Caving in, Guarnere soon wrapped her up into a tight hug;

"missed you too, you asshole". He whispered.


	29. Chapter 28

They arrived on the "Island" in early October.

The place was a long, narrow, low-lying stretch of land north of Nijmegan and sandwiched between the Lower Rhine and Waal rivers. The grounds were mostly flat farmlands, scattered with death and thick and slippery mud. There were a few small hamlets and houses. But what stood out the most, were the tall dikes, with roads averaging ten to twelve feet in width running along the top of the dikes. The steep banks of the dikes were blanketed with heavy vegetation, while down on the flat fields, there were plenty of crisscrossed and irregular ditches.

With a lot of ground to cover, Winters set up many outposts and sent contact patrols.

They kept in contact with each other by using radios and telephones, which were wired up to their Platoon CP or Winters CP. With Buck still at the hospital, Guarnere ran the Platoon CP. He'd send out plenty of small patrols, to check-out whatever was needed. Patrols were always done during the night. In fact, the men only moved during the night. They'd stay inside their foxholes all day, or on the outposts and kept their heads down.

When it started to get dark, Charlotte was gathering her gear for outpost duty.

She felt something soft tap against her helmet.

Frowning, she rubbed the side of her helmet and continued to grab her things.

Something else knocked against her helmet.

Sighing, she looked up and figured it was raining. Which wouldn't be surprising, it always rained in Holland. But for once, the skies were clear from rain clouds. Shrugging, she looked back down and grabbed her rifle.

But stopped, when something else hit her helmet.

"Alright, who's doing that?" Charlotte muttered.

Guarnere, who was standing a few feet away from her snorted;

"Lottie – got a second?"

Looking over at him, she nodded;

"sure thing, man". Charlotte said, "but got to be quick, eh? Outpost in a minute".

"Not anymore". Guarnere told her, while she walked over to him. "You're leading a three-man patrol, pal".

Nodding slowly, she asked;

"aye, no bother – who with?"

"Liebgott, Alley and Lesniewski".

"Where we going, like?"

"Ask Winters". Guarnere told her, "grab the guys, head up to HQ".

Charlotte grimaced;

"the lads don't know they're going?"

He smirked and shook his head, "thought you could do the honours and tell 'em, Lottie".

"You prick, Bill".

Guarnere huffed out a laugh;

"yeah…look, be careful, huh? You're going into a possible hotspot".

Charlotte sighed and rubbed the back of her neck;

"why the hell are you picking me to lead anyway, man?"

Guarnere shrugged, "you're qualified for the job".

"Last I led anything, Alby got shot in the neck-"

"shit like that happens, Lottie". Guarnere reminded her, "you can't let that hang over your head whenever you lead a damn patrol".

Charlotte felt her shoulders drop;

"I don't have a choice, eh?"

He shook his head, "nah…not unless you're dying, Lottie. You're fine – get it done".

Charlotte felt something soft tap against her helmet;

"cut it out, Bill". She muttered.

Guarnere pulled a face;

"what?"

Jackson and Campbell let out a laugh;

"God…you're easy to wind up, Lottie". Jackson said, with a large grin.

Pulling a face, she looked at the pair of them;

"how come you're shooting stuff at me?"

Campbell shrugged, "we were running an experiment".

"What?" Charlotte mumbled.

"To see how long you'd figure out who was throwing things at you". Jackson finished, with a grin, "you failed, Lottie".

She sighed;

"Jesus…you's need to get out more".

Once she gathered up the three lucky guys for the patrol, the four of them headed over to HQ and a few guys from 1st Platoon, who were outside. For once, that Platoon was in reserve. And the men deserved a well-earned break, they got picked for almost everything.

Luz grinned, when he spotted the four of them;

"how's it going? Nice weather we're having, huh?"

Liebgott laughed;

"yeah, for once it ain't raining".

"Don't jinx it, Lieb". He warned him, "the heavens are bound to open soon enough".

Talbert was soon standing next to Luz;

"you guys heading to see Winters?"

"Aye". Charlotte mumbled, "we've been picked for a patrol".

He smirked, "lucky four, huh?"

Alley snorted, "yeah, right…you fellas enjoying your rest?"

"Sure are". Luz stated with a grin, "good luck out there, huh?"

Charlotte gave them both a tight smile;

"cheers…see you both later".

"See you, Lottie".

Entering the barn Winters stood around the table with a map at the ready. Lipton was next to him. Inside the barn, some of the men from 1st Platoon slept among straw and hay, while a few others played a game of cards. And they both looked a little surprised to see Charlotte enter the barn. Rubbing his lips together, Winters asked;

"evening…who's leading the patrol?"

When no one raised their hand, Liebgott gave Charlotte's arm a nudge.

Clearing her throat, she raised her hand slightly.

"That would be me, sir".

Giving her a nod, Winters told her;

"the enemy has been spotted near Randwijk. Your mission is to see what they're up to and to discourage them, if possible, by calling in for artillery fire".

"Alright, sir". Charlotte replied lightly, "no bother".

"Good". Winters said, "light and noise discipline has to be strict, Lottie. You can't be seen by the enemy".

"Got it, sir". She sounded confident.

The men beside her seemed confident in this mission too.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she looked up at Lesniewski;

"Joe, grab the radio".

"No problem, Lottie".

Lipton ended up strapping the large radio on Lesniewski's back.

That was pretty much all they needed to call in for artillery fire.

Charlotte would just need to bring along some of that famous paratrooper confidence along with her, which her friends always seemed to have. Straightening herself up, Charlotte saluted the Captain;

"alright, sir – we'll be seeing you soon".

Winters smiled;

"good luck".

Leaving the barn, the four of them moved away from HQ and walked towards the end of the field, where they soon followed another path towards a steep and daunting dike. Standing in formation, Charlotte took the lead, with Liebgott in the rear. Alley was to her right, Lesniewski to her left. They reached the foot of the dike half a mile into their journey. Rubbing her lips together, she signalled for the men to take cover before she got onto her belly and slowly scaled the side of the dike.

However, it was of course, dark and Liebgott ended up getting slightly lost in the rear.

When he saw a familiar figure, he called out;

"Alley? Is that you-"

"shut the fuck up!" Lesniewski hissed.

Liebgott pulled a face;

"Joe, back off, huh? It's probably nothing-"

"grenade!" Charlotte soon yelled.

It wasn't nothing.

They had run into a large German patrol.

And the Germans had found their smaller patrol. Charlotte saw one of them through his grenade. After she alerted her friends, she covered her helmet and heard the grenade go off behind her. The three men all let out groans, they had all been hit. Charlotte rolled down the dike to reach them. She found Alley first, who was worst off. The other two only had smaller flesh wounds.

The Germans lobbed more grenades at them.

"Joe, Lieb!" She called out, "help me with Alley – let's get back to HQ!"

Lesniewski crawled over to her quickly;

"good idea, kid!" He yelled, "you seen a lot up there?!"

She shrugged;

"maybe ten or so!" Charlotte replied, "could be more – I 'dunno! Was too dark to tell!"

Liebgott soon joined them;

"shit – sorry, Lottie…shouldn't have opened my damn mouth!"

"You got that right!" Lesniewski snapped, "Jesus, Lieb! You gave away our position real fucking fast!"

"Stop!" Charlotte, "stop fighting – listen, let's just get Alley back, eh?!"

While her two friends helped Alley up, Charlotte turned to face the Germans on top of the dike and fired at them, until Lesniewski and Liebgott started dragging Alley away. Lowering her rifle, Charlotte sprinted to catch up with them. Barging into HQ, she kept the door open for their wounded friend.

"We got penetration!" Liebgott yelled, "Alley's hurt, we need the Doc!"

Charlotte pointed towards the table;

"get him on the table!" She said.

Soon, men were gathered around their wounded friend.

Alley looked a little confused and dazed;

"where am I? What happened?"

Charlotte rubbed the end of her nose and sighed.

She looked up at Winters, who was looking around the small patrol.

"We ran into maybe ten of them, sir". Charlotte told him quietly, "eh – they started lobbing grenades at us-"

"yeah, cause Liebgott couldn't keep his damn mouth shut for five fucking minutes!" Lesniewski snapped.

"You know what, Joe?!" Liebgott snapped back, "shut up, huh?!"

"Alley wouldn't be hurt, if it wasn't for you-"

"stop". Charlotte stressed, staring at the pair of them.

Sighing again, she looked back up at Winters;

"at the crossroads, sir".

"Show me on the map, Lottie". Winters ordered her quietly.

By that point, Roe had arrived to help Alley. The men around the table cleared a space, while the medic got to work. Charlotte was at the map. Looking at it first for a few moments, just to figure out where the attack happened, she soon managed to point out exactly where it took place.

"Right there, sir".

Winters leaned in closer;

"Jesus". He whispered, "that puts them halfway between the Company CP and 1st Battalion". He sounded slightly anxious, which worried Charlotte. "Lesniewski, send a runner for Lieutenant Welsh. Lip, stay by the radio. Boyle, grab the Handie-Talkie and follow me – Talbert, assemble me a squad".

"1st squad!" Talbert yelled, "wake up – let's move!"

The men jumped down from their beds and grabbed their weapons.

Some even looked half asleep still.

When Winters and his squad cleared the barn, Charlotte went over to check in with Alley.

And she then noticed Liebgott, who was heading out.

She frowned;

"you going, like?"

"Yup". Liebgott replied, before exiting the bar.

Charlotte sighed;

"he's mental…".

Roe shrugged, "as long as he keeps that bandage on his neck".

She looked back down at Alley, who had one eye open.

"The hell happened, Lottie?" He croaked.

She frowned a little;

"it happened proper fast, man". Charlotte mumbled softly, "I was getting up that dike and then I heard the Krauts, eh? And then they lobbed a grenade at us – that first one hit the three of you's".

Alley sighed, "Jesus…I heard you call out, I think".

"I could have yelled louder, probably". She said, "sorry, Alley".

He gave his head a little shake, while both of his eyes closed.

"Don't worry, kid".

Charlotte looked at Roe;

"you got a jeep on the go, Doc?"

"Yeah, I do". Roe murmured, "did you get hurt?"

She shook her head, "nah…I'm fine, Doc".

"You sure? You're looking a little pale, Gallagher".

Charlotte frowned a little;

"aye, well…you'd be near enough pissing yourself to, if you ran into some Krauts up a dike, Doc".

Roe smiled, "that's very true, petit".

"What does that mean?" Charlotte wondered, "that thing you called me there…is it in another language or something?"

"Yeah – it's French". He explained to her kindly, "for little one".

She ran a hand down her face;

"Christ, if I'm not goofy then I'm small, eh?"

Roe chuckled, "I'm sorry, Gallagher. But you are pretty small out here".

"Aye…I'm just a wee fish in a great big sea, Doc". Charlotte said quietly, "still trying to find my feet and that, eh?"

The barn doors opened, and two men appeared with a stretcher for Alley.

Of course, Roe went with them to the aid station, wanting to make sure Alley was getting the right treatment for his wounds. When the doors closed, Charlotte let out a tiny sigh.

"I think you found your feet-"

"Jesus fuck". Charlotte whispered, with a tiny jump.

Turning around, she saw Lipton sitting by the radio.

He smiled;

"didn't mean to scare you, buddy".

Charlotte snorted;

"nah…I just forget you were here, Lip". She mumbled.

"Should head back to Bill, Lottie". Lipton told her, "let him know what's going on".

A tiny smile met her face;

"he probably already knows, Lip".

And Charlotte was right, by the time she arrived back to her Platoon, Welsh was already gathering the rest from 1st Platoon, preparing to fight alongside Winter's small patrol. Things were getting hairy, apparently, and Winters was faced with an unknown force. He needed all the men from 1st in order to attack.

By the time 2nd Platoon was called in for the action, 1st Platoon had shot plenty of SS, Hitler's best soldiers, apparently. It was a duck shoot for the Platoon and, when Charlotte arrived with her Platoon, they were ordered to chase the Germans over the dike to a river crossing. Men from Fox Company had arrived to help with this final push, which didn't seem risky until they got caught up in a bombardment. The Germans shelled the hell out of them.

They were trying to withdraw.

The Germans had them all zeroed in.

Charlotte dove into a dike, with Guarnere and Christenson close by.

The ground was exploding, men were getting hit all over and screaming for a medic.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her face up against the dirt and hoped the next shell would miss them. Seconds when they reached the dike, Leo Boyle fell flat on his face next to her. For a moment, all Charlotte could hear were the shells and the screams for help. Until she realised, that the scream for help was coming from right beside her.

Lifting her face from the mud, she looked over at Boyle.

Slowly, her eyes wandered down his leg.

And she almost vomited.

Shrapnel had ripped open his thigh and he was bleeding something terrible. There was almost nothing left. Hand going over her mouth, she rolled over to him and placed a hand on the back of his neck;

"Boyle?!" She called, "don't worry, we'll get you help!"

Moments later, Guarnere and Christenson were there to help.

Guarnere ripped open his trousers, while Christenson grabbed a packet of sulfa powder out from his jacket. Charlotte couldn't look at the Sargent's leg and watched his face instead. Boyle passed out from the pain and she instantly panicked;

"Bill! His eyes are closed!"

"Can you blame him?!" Guarnere yelled back, "Pat – how's that bandage coming along?!"

"Not good!" Christenson replied, "we're 'gonna need to stay with him until the medic comes!"

Charlotte looked around, which was a bad idea.

The scene was terrible, with many limbs, guts and blood scattering the dike and the field.

Feeling bile rise in her throat, she swallowed harshly.

The three of them stayed put, sheltering their wounded friend until the shelling stopped.

Charlotte got onto her feet and surveyed the area. Men, who had taken cover in the field, were now scaling the dike, with wounded friends over their shoulders. When Charlotte reached the top of the dike, she could see many of dead SS officers lying across the land. Walking down the slope, she reached one of the ditches and saw another body lying there, one which belonged to them;

Dukeman.

Sitting next to him, was Martin.

Charlotte watched, while her drinking buddy pulled off his friend's dog tags, to send them home to his parents. And she felt her throat tighten when noticing Martin's eyes looked a little shiny with tears. When Martin noticed her, she took a step towards him and grabbed his wrist;

"come on, man". She mumbled, "you should get some rest, eh?"

Martin sniffed;

"yeah…you're probably right".

Dukeman was a Toccoa man.

A great guy and a fantastic soldier.

The loss of another Toccoa man, was a hard pill to swallow.

But the men couldn't sit a grieve. They were always urged to keep going. To live to fight another day. Charlotte remembered how horrible she felt, when they lost their first set of Toccoa men. It was something she didn't prepare herself for, because she'd hate to think about it. Charlotte didn't see the point in worrying over the "what if's", when they might not even happen. If she thought about the "what if's", then Charlotte wouldn't have made such great friends, who she considered all her brothers.

While walking towards the top of a dike, where hot coffee was being served, Charlotte spotted Winters sitting on his own, looking ahead towards the crossroad. Letting go of Martin's wrist, she soon made her way over to their Captain. Winters liked to take moments to himself, to pray, or brood. Charlotte rarely did that.

Silently, she sat down next to Winters.

Staring out in front of her, she decided to think.

Charlotte's mind went back to Boyle's wounded leg. And she decided to stop thinking. Clearing her throat, she rubbed the back of her neck. Winters looked down at her;

"alright there, trooper?"

"Aye, grand". She replied, in a small voice.

"You come here to think?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…was just wondering 'bout you, sir".

Winters lips twitched, creating the smallest of smiles.

Looking up towards the sky, Charlotte noticed a few grey clouds heading their way.

Frowning, she lowered her head again;

"think it might rain".

Winters sighed, "that wouldn't surprise me, Lottie".

Charlotte rubbed her muddy hands together.

And she suddenly tutted, when a thought did hit her.

"You know what doesn't make sense?"

"What?" Winters asked.

"Putting failure and Easy Company in the same sentence".

The Captain frowned, not quite sure on what she meant.

Charlotte shrugged her shoulder;

"just some Brits, eh? Think we all failed Market Garden". She snorted, "fair enough, the plan did get slightly hairy at times but…here, Easy didn't fail nothing. We secured those bridges; we did our part. And now, we're here. Securing another line. We're just doing our job, doing what we're told. And we're doing a fucking great job of it".

Another small smile lifted Winters face.

Sighing, Charlotte got onto her feet;

"I'll leave you to your thoughts, sir". She said, "and I'll make sure they save you a hot coffee".

Smiling still, Winters nodded;

"thank you, Lottie".

**…**

Later that night, 2nd Platoon learned from Guarnere that tomorrow, on the 6th of October, they were to relieve B Company's defensive position on the dike. Guarnere told them, that they were travelling by trucks, in the morning. Which annoyed a lot of them;

"they're making us travel in the day?" Toye muttered, "have they lost their damn minds?"

Guarnere nodded;

"yeah, probably".

After placing men on outpost duty, the men not on duty settled down for the night.

Charlotte was sitting in her foxhole, by the orchard. Reaching up, she grabbed one of the apples and bit into it. With rations growing thin, the men had started to eat the apples. And there was only so much someone could do with an apple.

"Lottie?" Campbell was soon standing in front of her foxhole.

Looking up, she gave him a tiny smile;

"alright, man?"

Not replying, Campbell was soon sitting down next to her.

She took another bite out of her apple.

Looking up at him, Charlotte was concerned by the look of defeat on her friend's face.

Chewing slowly, she soon swallowed what was in her mouth.

"Jim?"

Blinking a few times, Campbell cleared his throat;

"yeah?"

She shrugged, "nothing, man…just…well, you look a little – down?"

Campbell bit on his lower lip;

"do you remember when he got back to Uden after securing the highway?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, it was raining – I remember".

"We got letters".

"Ah – right, aye…you's got letters". Charlotte said, remembering the look of joy on her friend's faces when they received letters from family back home.

For a moment, Campbell didn't say anything.

Until his hand went over his eyes;

"shit, Lottie". He muttered, "Mary found someone else".

Her face dropped;

"what?" She whispered.

"She found someone else, Lottie". He croaked.

Charlotte could hear the tears in his voice but knew Campbell was holding back.

"I don't know…I don't know what's 'gonna happen with my son, Lottie".

Charlotte's frown deepened.

Campbell sniffed;

"what the fuck, Lottie?" He mumbled thickly, "what the fuck do I do?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that.

Charlotte had never been in Campbell's position before. He had been so excited when he became a father and invited Charlotte to meet his baby the day after his son was born. Charlotte didn't think the couple was having any issues, they seemed happy when she saw them together. And maybe they were. Or, maybe Campbell was happy, but Mary wasn't.

Either way, Campbell was heartbroken.

Charlotte grabbed onto the edge of her foxhole and pulled herself up.

Once she was sitting on the edge, she placed her arm around Campbell's shoulders and pulled their heads close together;

"that guy, is fuck all compared to you, Jim". She told him lowly, "if Mary wants to settle down with third class, then that's her fucking call, man. But you'll always be apart of your son's life. Even if you don't see him the now, you'll see him one day. And that baby is fucking lucky, to have a dad like you, Jim".

Campbell rubbed his eyes with his jacket.

"You've been through loads of shit, Jim". She continued to say, "and you deserve to be happy and settle down with a lass who loves you for you".

Sniffing, he cleared his throat and nodded;

"thanks".

Charlotte gave his shoulder a squeeze;

"nah, man…you should already know that, don't thank me. You should already know that you deserve the fucking best, Jim".

Charlotte wanted Campbell to continue this fight. She hated seeing him upset and second-guessing himself as a friend, husband and a father. Campbell had done his best to keep Mary happy while being out in combat, trying to end the war. And Charlotte reminded him, that he had a little boy back in England, who couldn't wait to see his daddy again. It was enough for Campbell to rub his tears away and continue to live out in combat, where it never stopped raining and men were soon growing hungry.

Conditions would always be terrible in combat.

Sitting in a foxhole and not doing anything but worrying, someone would always lift the morale and start to sing. Toye was the man with the song, who'd always turn to his favourite;

"I'll be seeing you".

Campbell wasn't a huge fan of the song that night.

But settled down next to Charlotte and listened anyway.

The weary men tried to find some sleep.

While Toye's deep and soft voice travelled from foxhole to foxhole.

Lifting the hearts and smiles, of the men from 2nd Platoon.


	30. Chapter 29

Arriving by trucks at the position on top of the dike, Guarnere was soon issuing out orders. Apparently, things had been fairly quiet in this position and B Company didn't expect much to happen to the men from 2nd Platoon, while securing this line. Guarnere reached Toye's squad and gave him the orders;

"Joe, take your fellas and go occupy that house".

"Alright, Bill". Toye complied.

Guarnere got his mortarmen set up, while Toye rounded up the squad to fill them in on what their mission was. Written down, it was simple enough and with the low activity, they didn't think much of it. Charlotte was behind Heffron, with, like usual, Jackson behind her. Moving up the road, they soon caught sight of the brick house and a few guys from B Company who were waiting to be relieved.

The Germans had a bead on the area, however, but so far, they hadn't done much about it, expect set off a few rounds of mortar shells on a nearby house. Toye, who was upfront soon called for Heffron;

"Babe! Bring up your machine-gun!"

Before Heffron could move forward, Campbell offered to go instead;

"Heffron, you stay here with the gun, I'll go with Toye".

The squad stayed put, while Campbell walked up to Toye.

The pair of them rounded the corner.

And, out of nowhere, a shell landed on top of the house.

The side of the house came crashing down, burying the men in bricks, chalk and debris. Charlotte hands went over her helmet, hoping to protect what little brain she had left, from her previous knocks. As soon as that mortar shell hit them, Guarnere and the others began firing out towards the Germans. The noise was chaotic and intense.

Charlotte managed to pull herself up from what she was buried under.

At the same time, Heffron poked up from under his pile of bricks.

The pair of them looked at each other;

"alright, Babe?"

Heffron nodded;

"you?"

Nodding, Charlotte turned to face the front.

"Should probably see how Joe and Jim are doing, eh?"

She dusted the white chalk off her shoulders and got onto her feet.

Heffron did the same and the pair of them stood there for a moment, not moving. They were both scared of what they might find around the corner. Two wounded friends, both dead. They had no idea, but that shell landed right on top of them. Biting her lip, Charlotte took the first step and carefully, stepped over the bricks, and moved around the corner of the house.

There, she could see Campbell.

He was lying face-first on the ground, back looking misshapen and bloody.

Blinking a few times, Charlotte got onto her knees and crawled over to him.

"He's dead". A voice said. "I already checked".

Looking up, she noticed Toye.

He was hit bad on the back and the legs. His neck was all chewed up too.

Heffron stepped towards their squad leader.

And Toye told him;

"don't touch me. I'm hit all over".

Heffron was soon knelt beside Charlotte, where the threw his topcoat over their fallen friend. Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to hold back the river of tears and grief, that wanted so badly to break out of her. She could hear Heffron mumble a quiet prayer under his breath. Shortly after, Heffron got up and put Toye over his shoulders;

"Lottie, you coming?" He asked.

Charlotte clenched her jaw together tightly.

Around her, she could hear machine-guns blazing, shells exploding and rifles firing. It almost drowned out Heffron's concern and questions. But Charlotte could hear him, she just refused to listen. And, after a few moments of asking, Heffron eventually left and headed for the aid station with their wounded squad leader.

Alone now, Charlotte opened her eyes.

Reaching for the back of his neck, she grabbed Campbell's dog tags and pulled them off. She'd send them to his son and write him a letter to go with it, explaining that his dad was the bravest man she had ever met. Feeling like the earth was about to swallow her up, Charlotte put her friend's tags into her jacket pocket and got onto her feet.

The firing died down shortly after, with the odd gunshot being fired out.

Stepping away from the house, she moved back towards the rest from 2nd Platoon.

Guarnere was the first to reach her;

"what happened?"

Rubbing her lips together, she looked down at her boots, which were sinking in the mud. Clearing her throat, she told him;

"Joe got hit, he'll be alright in a few weeks". She mumbled.

The Sargent continued to stare at her, knowing there was more.

In fact, the men around her seemed to stop and listen.

Especially the guys from 1st squad.

Jackson took a step forward;

"and…and Jim?"

Eyes still staring at her boots, Charlotte shook her head.

"Nah, Jack". She whispered, "nah, he didn't make it".

Jackson put a hand across his mouth, while his eyes widened in shock.

Some of the men cursed, while others sat on the wet earth, looking defeated. Charlotte couldn't look at the faces around her, frightened she'd allow the grief to consume her. Taking in a deep breath, she looked up and met Guarnere's stare.

He gave her a little nod;

"watch over 1st squad". He told her quietly, "Chuck's boys are on outpost tonight".

Charlotte's bottom lip quivered.

Biting down on it, she blinked a few times to get rid of the tears.

"Alright, Bill". She mumbled, through a lump in her throat.

Guarnere's hand went on her shoulder;

"you've got this, pal". He told her lowly, "it's 'gonna be alright".

Closing her eyes again, she licked her bottom lip and nodded.

He squeezed her shoulder;

"yeah, you're alright, Lottie". He assured her, "and hey, when we get the fuck out of Holland, first drinks on me, huh? And how about a matching tattoo?"

Charlotte huffed out a choked laugh, which sounded more like a sob.

"Shut up, man". She mumbled tearfully.

Running a hand down her face, Charlotte breathed out shakily and gave Guarnere a nod. Clarifying, that she wasn't about to break down and bury herself in the dirt. The Sargent let go of her shoulder, gave her one last small smile and went back to ordering the men around them. Charlotte reached into her pocket and brought out Campbell's tags again.

"That should have been me".

Looking up from the tags, she saw Heffron.

"Should have been me, Lottie". He whispered again, "I was supposed to go up".

Sighing, Charlotte put the tags back into her pocket;

"get back to your foxhole, Babe". She mumbled softly, "get some rest, eh? We're not on duty tonight".

Charlotte took a step away from him.

Heffron turned around and watched her walk away;

"Lottie". He called out.

Sighing again, Charlotte stopped and turned around.

Rubbing her lips together, she crossed her arms over her chest;

"aye?"

Heffron looked different. The boyish smile was gone, and the spark left his eyes.

Frowning, Charlotte said;

"we'll talk later man, alright? Get something to eat".

"Where you going?" Heffron asked her quietly.

"I need to tell Winters, man". She mumbled, "don't worry, alright? I'll be back soon".

Biting his bottom lip in thought, he asked;

"you sure?"

Charlotte nodded and tired her best to give him an assuring smile;

"of course, Babe". She said, though her smile wavered. "Used to this, eh?"

Heffron's frown deepened and he nodded;

"alright, Lottie…see you later".

Walking down the dike, Charlotte followed the ditch towards Company CP, which was once again, stationed inside a barn. Opening one of the doors, she stepped inside. Lipton and Winters were around the table, looking over maps, while Nixon sat on a chair close by, drinking his Vat 69 out from his famous flask. When closing the door, the men looked towards the sound.

"Did you occupy the house?" Winters asked her.

Swallowing back the swell of emotions, Charlotte could feel her eyes start to burn.

Clenching her jaw, she gave a sharp nod.

Winters frowned;

"good". He murmured, "that everything, Lottie?"

Her fingers pressed against her jacket pocket, where Campbell's tags sat.

Hearing herself exhale shakily, Charlotte gave her head a shake.

Their faces dropped.

"Who was it?" Lipton asked her, very quietly.

Bottom lip trembling, she reached into her pocket and brought out the tags;

"Jim". Charlotte whispered; voice close to tears.

"Jesus". Nixon muttered, before taking another drink.

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte could feel a tear roll down her cheek.

Swallowing back the hard lump in her throat, she found herself moving towards Winters, who then stepped away from the table, face set with a heavy frown. Charlotte's face was close to crumbling, while she placed the tags in Winters hands and told him;

"Joe got wounded". She croaked, voice brittle. "So…Bill put me in charge".

Frowning still, Winters looked down at the tags in his hands.

Charlotte quickly wiped the tear from her cheek.

After a moment of not saying anything, Winters eyes moved towards Charlotte, who was trying her hardest to keep it together in front of the men. He felt something tug at his heart. And placed a hand on her shoulders. Winters knew that Charlotte just needed a few encouraging words to get her through the next few weeks without Toye.

"Sargent Guarnere did the right thing". Winters told her, "make sure the men keep their morale up with the loss of Corporal Campbell, Lottie".

Charlotte's spine straightened a little.

She gave him a sharp nod.

Winters squeezed her shoulder;

"I'll be here, if you need anything". He reminded her.

Charlotte didn't want to lose another friend.

They had to keep on pushing through the rough conditions in Holland. And it would get worse as the days went on. Charlotte just didn't know it, in that moment.

When Winters released her shoulder.

She continued to look up at him.

Standing straight, Charlotte saluted the Captain.

And she left the barn, to pick up the pieces back on the line.

**…**

A few days later, Winters left Easy.

After Major Horton died on the 5th of October, Colonel Sink promoted Winters to Battalion, acting as Strayer's executive officer. The man would be terribly missed by Easy. But another officer, who was originally an Easy officer took his place, Lieutenant Heyliger, or Moose, as he went by. Because of his history with the Company, Moose fit in well and was quickly accepted among the men.

Conditions didn't improve on the line, if anything, they got worse.

Illness spread around the line. And the men were growing sick of eating apples. They had constant contact patrols and the Germans were always there to fire back. Because of the high risk of attacks, the men still only moved around during the night. It was a good relief to get out of a wet and muddy foxhole, seeing as it never stopped raining in Holland. But because of the rain and sometimes warmer temperatures during the day, a horrible stench spread around, due to sweat and not showering.

Underneath her helmet, Charlotte's hair was matted with sweat and mud.

And underneath her uniform, she had lost a significant amount of weight. Which was slightly alarming for her, seeing as she had never been "skinny" or "slender". Her once, what she considered, "stumpy" figure was a thing of the past. Charlotte first noticed her weight loss when her trousers began to slide down. She had to use a piece of rope as a belt, crafted by Grant.

It was hard to find the energy or motivation to get up.

A few of Charlotte's friends struggled.

Jackson was one of them. He was suffering badly with an upset stomach. The cramps stopped him from sleeping and his face was chalky and almost grey. Charlotte hadn't seen anyone look that ill in a while. So, she decided to get Jackson to the aid station. He of course, refused.

"Everyone's got the shits, Lottie". Jackson mumbled, arm over his eyes.

Charlotte was sitting on the edge of his foxhole.

She scratched behind her ear, trying to think of what to say, to convince her friend to seek medical help.

"You might get a hot meal, mate". She said, "and I heard the nurses are braw".

Jackson snorted;

"been a while since I've seen a pretty girl".

Charlotte smirked;

"what? Am I just a piece of dirt to you, man?"

Uncovering his face, Jackson cracked a smile;

"almost, Lottie".

She shrugged, "fair enough – but, Jack…I'm worried about you, eh? You don't look good, man".

Shaking his head, Jackson's arm went back over his eyes.

Charlotte frowned;

"you got a sore head, man?"

"Yup". He said, popping the 'p'.

Charlotte bit her lip, "that's not good, Jack". She mumbled, "you're probably dehydrated. You been drinking enough?"

"I can't keep nothing down long enough, Lottie".

"For how long?"

Jackson shrugged, "a few days-"

"Jack!" Charlotte urged, "you're going to the fucking aid station. You need some fluid in you, man. I can't have you being weak or that, I need you strong".

"Lottie, look around you, huh? Everyone's sick and tired".

She shook her head, "aye, maybe…but they're not about to die from dehydration, mate".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte jumped into his foxhole;

"come on, Jack". She urged gently, "you'll be back in a few days, eh?"

Sighing, Jackson uncovered his face and looked at her.

"Jesus, Lottie". He muttered, "I ain't the one who should be in the damn aid station".

Charlotte pulled a face;

"what?"

Jackson shook his head, "have you looked in a mirror recently?"

"Eh…no, I don't have one, Jack".

Sighing again, he sat up;

"Lottie, you're a bag of damn bones. Covered in mud and shit".

Charlotte's nose twitched;

"I'm not covered in shit, Jack".

A tiny amused smile reached his lips;

"not literally, Lottie…but you are caked in something that smell's like shit".

"Aye well – so are you". She muttered, looking a little offended.

Jackson grinned;

"fair enough".

Charlotte grabbed his arm, "please, Jack?" She asked, with a little pout. "I'm just trying to look after you, eh? And, I know I'm not the squad leader, but I am until Joe gets back so – so…". Her confident voice dropped, "so…you should listen to me…please?"

Shaking his head, Jackson said;

"Lottie, you were doing so well". He told her, "you know, sounding like you was about to order me around. But, seeing as you are trying – I'll go to the station".

Charlotte's shoulders dropped;

"cheers, man".

It was in the middle of October now, with the temperatures dropping at night, men started to share their foxholes with a buddy to keep each other warm. Charlotte would usually buddy up with either Jackson, Heffron or Eddie Joint. It all depended on who was put on outpost duty that night. And after she assigned Eddie to OP, Bain, their Platoon's radioman, soon came rushing over to Charlotte.

Frowning, she stepped towards the man;

"what's going on, Bain?"

He panted a little;

"it's Bill, Lottie – he's in the aid station".

Charlotte's eyes widened, "why?"

"He got hit on the leg and fell off a motorbike".

She then pulled a face;

"eh?!"

Bain gave her a nod, "you're allowed to see him before he leaves the station. He's getting evacuated back to England".

It didn't take Charlotte very long to reach the aid station, seeing as she ran the entire way. And once inside the barn, she walked up the strip and found Guarnere lying in a bed, with a white blanket and a tube of plasma going into his veins.

Shaking her head, Charlotte crossed her arms and looked up at the ceiling;

"the fuck, Bill?" She muttered, "what the hell were you thinking?"

Guarnere sighed;

"well…I was thinking it would get me there quicker if I took the bike, Lottie".

"Prick". She grumbled.

His lips twitched;

"don't worry about me, Lottie". He said, "I'll be 'outta that hospital in no time-"

"England, Bill!" Charlotte exclaimed, "all the way back to fucking England!"

A few heads turned her way.

The regimental doctor was not impressed with her shouting.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte looked down at Guarnere.

Her face dropped;

"what if you don't come back?"

"Jesus – of course I'll be back!" Guarnere barked, "Christ, they can't contain Wild Bill!"

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"aye, that's true". She mumbled softly.

"See? It's 'gonna be fine". He said.

Charlotte went back to frowning again;

"don't be long, eh? It'll be proper shit without you, Bill".

"As soon as I can walk, I'll be back". Guarnere promised her, "even if I've 'gotta go AWOL, Lottie and hitchhike all the way back to Holland". He said, "Christ – I'll swim the damn Channel myself, if I can't get a boat or a plane".

The regimental doctor was soon standing behind her.

"Private, it's time to go". He told her.

Giving Guarnere's hand a squeeze, Charlotte nodded;

"see you then, man".

Guarnere smiled at her;

"see you then, Lottie".

One week after Guarnere's motorbike accident, Toye arrived back and resumed his position as squad leader. He appointed Charlotte as his assistant, which meant, Toye had already recommended her for a promotion to Corporal. Charlotte didn't want to second guess her friend's judgment, so she kept her opinions to herself. Besides, they had a new mission to think about. Toye briefed his squad about the rescue mission across the Rhine a few days after he returned. They were to rescue members of the British 1st Airborne Division, who were stuck on the far bank of the river since the failure of Market Garden.

Heyliger picked twenty-three men to head across the river.

The rest of Easy was on covering fire, while the twenty-three men from Easy used rubber boats to cross the river. The mission itself was extremely risky and tense. But they practice for a few days with those boats and went over the plan a lot.

Colonel Dobey from the 1st British Airborne Division, was the man who told Sink about his men trapped across the river. He swam across in the night and escaped. Charlotte could imagine their Colonel doing the same for them.

At 0100 hours, the mission began.

While the twenty-three men from Easy got into their boats, the rest stayed put and waited with their machine-guns, mortars and rifles. It was incredibly tense, each small noise sounded like a shell exploding. Charlotte could only imagine how the men were feeling while crossing that icy water. But the mission was a complete success and not a single shot was fired.

One hundred and forty British troopers arrived safely on the other side.

And, to celebrate the succession of the mission, they held a small party in a barn opposite HQ.

It was one of the best missions to date.

No one got wounded.

No one died.

**…**

"Moose Heyliger and the American 101st have done the Red Devils a great service! Making it possible for us to return and fight the enemy another day. To Easy Company, victory and Currahee!" Colonel Dobey cheered while standing on a chair.

"Currahee!" The men cheered back.

Charlotte drank the rest of her bottled beer.

It felt great to drink beer again.

Or any sort of alcohol.

Charlotte could feel a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

Slightly drunk, she ended up leaning against Martin, who laughed and tossed his arm around her shoulder. Grant was standing next to her and it felt like old times again, except Guarnere was still in the hospital. But at least Martin and Grant were with her. Charlotte felt her stomach pool with warmth when things felt familiar and safe again. It was like another night in a pub or a dancehall. Just another night in London, or down at the Crown in Aldbourne. Feeling herself become full of nostalgia that almost brought her to tears, Charlotte left the party.

Outside, her eyes wandered to the top window in the house opposite the barn.

The light was still on and she saw Winter's pass the window.

Shrugging, Charlotte walked into the house.

Winters quarters were in the attic and, at the bottom of the stairs, Charlotte called;

"sir?"

"Come up". Came his reply.

Grabbing onto the railing, Charlotte walked up the wooden stairs and soon found herself in the dimly lit attic. A few candles were on, just light enough to slightly brighten the room. Her eyes moved towards his desk, which was scattered with unsigned papers.

Her eyes then wandered over to Winters, where she found herself smiling;

"remember when we played ball back in Lancaster?"

Slightly confused by the sudden question, Winters nodded all the same.

Charlotte shrugged;

"just thought that was proper nice". She mumbled softly.

The confusion was wiped from his face; Winters smiled;

"you got good pretty fast, Lottie".

Charlotte stepped further into the room;

"your desk is mad, sir". She commented, pointing towards all the scattered papers and documents, which almost buried the typewriter. "That's loads of paper, eh?"

Winters sighed;

"thanks for reminding me that I have a lot of work to do, trooper". He remarked, with the smallest amount of humour.

Charlotte scrunched her lips up, trying to hide a smile;

"sorry, sir".

"How are the men doing? Are they enjoying the party?"

She nodded;

"aye, they're having a grand old time, sir".

Winters tilted his head to the side;

"but you left early?"

Charlotte shrugged and scratched the tip of her nose.

Smiling small, Winters nodded towards the armchair, which sat next to the bookcase.

"Take a seat, trooper". He told her, "that's a nice comfy chair".

Facing the armchair, a smile lifted her face;

"the comfiest in this room, sir?"

"Sure". Winters confirmed, with a smirk.

Charlotte sat down on the comfy chair and felt herself melt into the soft padding below her. Leaning back, she let out a sigh of content;

"oh, aye…this is braw".

Chuckling softly, Winters pushed a chair over and sat opposite her.

"So, the mission went good?"

Charlotte nodded;

"not a single shot fired". She mumbled, "pretty crazy, sir".

"Yeah, I'll bet". He said quietly, "I can't wait to hear all about it from Heyliger tomorrow".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte asked;

"can I be blunt with you, sir?"

Winters nodded;

"you can…but that's not the correct term we use in the army, trooper".

A tiny smiled reached her lips;

"aye…can I speak freely, sir?"

He chuckled, "you may, Private".

"Thing is, right". Charlotte said, "Joe's 'gonna recommend me for Corporal".

Winters nodded;

"he already has, Lottie". And he looked proud about that, "I was very happy to accept his recommendation".

Sighing, Charlotte didn't look overly thrilled.

Which caused Winters to raise an eyebrow;

"but not you?"

She shrugged;

"I 'dunno, sir". Charlotte mumbled, "I mean…just feels weird, eh?"

"What? Getting promoted?"

"Eh…aye that".

Winters frowned and leaned forwards;

"and what else?"

Her face dropped, creating a sad frown;

"that was Jim's job". Charlotte mumbled, "I feel sick taking it".

Winters looked at her for a moment.

It hadn't crossed his mind, that she might have felt that deeply about a promotion. But then again, Campbell was a good friend. However, this wasn't like any other job and they had been trained to take over any rank if need be.

"Lottie". He whispered, "you aren't taking this away from Jim. And don't think of it as replacing him either. Think of it as, doing him proud and filling his boots. Because all Jim would want, is to see you guys come out of this in one piece".

Feeling her eyes burn with tears, she quickly rubbed the wetness away.

Winters hand went on her shoulder;

"I don't doubt you'd make a great Corporal, Lottie. But you've 'gotta start believing you can do it, because we all see it".

Sighing, Charlotte's hands left her eyes.

She looked up at Winter, looking worn out and done for the night.

Giving her a soft smile, Winters asked;

"how about a hot drink?"

Charlotte yawned into her hand and nodded;

"alright, sir".

Giving her shoulder a squeeze, Winters got up from the chair;

"take the blanket from the back of the chair if you're cold, Lottie".

And Charlotte did just that.

Wrapping the blanket around herself, her legs curled up into the chair, while her head rested on the arm of the chair. Yawning again, Charlotte was finding it impossible to keep her eyes open. And she eventually gave in and closed them, falling asleep within minutes of closing her eyes.

When Winters returned with two coffees, he placed one cup down and took a seat behind his desk. Cracking his knuckles, he gritted his teeth and got on with the paperwork in front of him, allowing Charlotte to sleep on his comfy armchair.


	31. Chapter 30

The day after Halloween, the men received the news that they lost Moose.

He had been shot by one of his own men, who was on outpost. Heyliger had forgotten the password and the man shot him. The Lieutenant would survive the shooting but Easy was now without a Commanding Officer. They didn't know who did the shooting, Winters didn't care to remember the man's name and of course, the shooter never owned up to it.

The position of Easy's CO was filled a few days later by a man named Norman Dike. Apparently, 1st Lieutenant Dike was blessed by General Taylor and was a transfer from Regimental HQ. Dike was a well-spoken man, who seemed to know what he was doing. But after just one week of being with Easy, "blessed" wasn't the word the men would use to describe Dike's presence. Charlotte wouldn't even repeat words that were said about the Lieutenant.

Another change was made within Easy, one which royally pissed Toye off.

Charlotte's promotion got denied and Kiehn made Corporal.

She wasn't too bothered about it, in fact, Charlotte almost felt relieved. Kiehn was happy and Toye would eventually come around to his new assistant squad leader. Winters had approved of Charlotte's promotion, where Dike didn't and because Dike didn't approve, that put Strayer in a tight spot. Eventually, the man declined the recommendation. The reason was never fully explained to Charlotte. Though, Dike did tell her;

"you lack experience".

That's what pissed Toye off the most.

"You lack experience?!" He raged, "you lack – Jesus fucking Christ…the man's damn clueless!"

"Maybe it's cause I'm a-"

"look, if he ain't promoting you, cause you're a girl – then he's an asshole!" Toye said, "he should have just told you the damn truth, kid. That ain't right to lie".

Charlotte shrugged;

"people are assholes, man". She said, "I'm not too bothered".

"Well, you should be".

Charlotte thought it best to stay out of Dike's way.

He was never around much anyway. As soon as there was a bit of action, Dike was nowhere to be found. The men came up the with the name "Foxhole Norman", because of his lack of attendance. And as the weeks dragged on, November brought cold rain to add to the already miserable conditions out on the line. Foxholes were flooded, men were drenched, and the smell of corpses filtered through the air non-stop.

Morale was hard to find.

Toye's singing sometimes didn't even work.

With Buck still at the hospital, 2nd Platoon saw a lot of 1st Sargent Lipton.

Malarkey was still acting as Platoon Sargent and Lipton did all he could to help keep things running as smoothly as possible. Charlotte thought Lipton's presence was always comforting whenever he came around. It placed a warm blanket over the men in their foxholes. Lipton was a fantastic 1st Sargent who took care of everyone and he'd try his best to sort out any problem a man might have while on the line. He even promised to pray for sunshine.

Lipton could do a lot of his men, but he couldn't change the weather.

So, they sat under constant cold rain.

Charlotte was sitting on the edge of a foxhole, helping Bain fix the wire, which connected to the phones from outpost to Platoon CP. The wire had been destroyed during a shelling a few nights ago. Bain had only gotten around to getting the wire back for fixing. The pair of them shared a poncho, which sat on top of their heads, to shelter them from the rain while they worked.

Charlotte was soon pulled away from her work, by Lipton.

"Lottie". He called from behind her, "you're wanted up at CP".

Frowning a little, she removed the poncho and looked over her shoulder.

"What did I do now?"

Lipton shook his head;

"nothing, buddy". He told her, "I don't think, anyway".

Sighing, she rolled up her part of the wire and set it on Bain's thigh;

"I'll try and not be long, man".

"Thanks, Lottie". Bain mumbled, sounding as if he hadn't even heard her.

Getting onto her feet, her boots squished into the mud. Giving Lipton a nervous sort of smile, she asked;

"are you coming?"

Lipton nodded, "sure am, Lottie".

She sighed;

"must be serious, eh?"

With an assuring smile, Lipton placed his hand on her shoulders;

"I'm not sure what it's about, buddy". He said, "but, you've kept your nose pretty clean out here. I don't think you're in any sort of trouble".

Charlotte could still feel the sharp bite of nerves cut into her stomach while walking with Lipton towards Company CP's house. Though, it wasn't much of a house anymore. Half of the roof was missing, meaning Dike could only use a few rooms. However, Dike wasn't inside the house. Instead, Charlotte and Lipton were met with Winters, Nixon and a complete stranger. From the looks of it, the stranger was from the 43rd Wessex Infantry Division.

Charlotte couldn't piece the puzzle together.

And she saluted the officers with Lipton, just like she usually would.

Before Winters could greet her, the Brit beat him to it;

"is this her, Captain Nixon?"

"It is". Nixon confirmed, giving Charlotte a tiny but assuring smile.

The British man huffed and stepped closer to her;

"feels like I'm seeing a bloody ghost".

Frowning, Charlotte's eyes wandered over to Winters;

"sir?" She whispered, "what…who's this then?"

Winters gave Nixon and Lipton a nod;

"let's give them some privacy. You have fifteen minutes, Lieutenant".

The British man gave the Captain a nod;

"yes, sir".

Feeling slightly uneasy about being left in the room with a strange British man who just called her a ghost, Charlotte sent Winters a pleading look, as if telling him;

_ "don't leave me!" _

However, the Captain gave her a kind smile and left the room.

When the door closed, Charlotte was met by the echo of the door closing and a beat of silence. The man soon cleared his throat;

"you can call me Gavin for the next fifteen minutes, Charlotte".

To east the tension, Gavin extended his hand to her, for a handshake.

With her eyebrow still raised, Charlotte took his hand;

"alright". She mumbled slowly, sounding highly suspicious. "Gavin…you're Scottish, then?"

"I am". Gavin smiled, "I'm from Edinburgh, actually".

Charlotte left the handshake.

Stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets, she said;

"cool – same". She mumbled, "well, sort of".

Gavin smiled and crossed his arms over his chest;

"I know you are, Charlotte".

She frowned;

"how'd you know that? You been a wee nosey man or something?"

He huffed out a tiny laugh, "no…not intentionally. But the news of a certain female paratrooper named Charlotte Gallagher sparked my interest".

Gavin was telling her this, as if she'd know what he was meaning.

Bit Charlotte didn't have a clue.

"Listen – Gavin? I'm really slow, eh? You're 'gonna have to be proper blunt with me, if you've got something to say".

Uncrossing his arms, he nodded;

"fair enough, Charlotte". Gavin said, "well, I was good pals with Stewart and John – your brothers".

The colour drained from her face.

Charlotte went as stiff as a statue;

"what?" She asked, in a tiny voice.

"Actually, we trained together". Gavin went on, "but I was sent to join another unit. I made a lot of good friends in training and a lot of them I suddenly lost".

"Battle of France?" She asked.

"Aye". Gavin said through a sigh, "do you know anything about that, Charlotte?"

She shook her head;

"nah…not loads".

Gavin took off his cap and nodded towards a chair;

"why don't you sit down, Charlotte? I've got news".

Her eyes moved towards the chair.

And she could feel her stomach knot;

"nah, I'm alright". She whispered, frightened to sit down, in case the news got worse.

Gavin looked her up and down.

The news was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't find the words to tell her. So, he decided to start at the beginning;

"most of the Division were captured by the Jerry's and taken to a POW camp in Poland". Gavin started to explain, "conditions in the camp were okay but, obviously, not the best. Three hundred men from your dad's old Regiment escaped and only half made it back into Britain, the rest were re-captured or got lost along the way. One man who made it back happened to be a good friend from training. He was in the same Company as your brothers. And was able to tell us what…what happened".

Charlotte stopped breathing for a moment.

Gavin looked over at the chair;

"Charlotte are you-"

"just say it". She whispered.

Clearing his throat, Gavin nodded and looked back down at her.

"They were both charged for a different crime months after arriving in the camp. My friend wasn't exactly sure what the crime was, but it involved a family they knew back home…have you ever heard of the Sosnowska family?"

If even possible, Charlotte paled more.

_ Irena…_

Swallowing back a sickening feeling, she nodded slowly.

Gavin sighed;

"well…it had something to do with them, something very serious".

His frown deepened and a mournful look crossed his eyes;

"serious enough to have them both executed by a firing squad".

Taking in a sharp breath, Charlotte lowered her eyes to her boots.

She suddenly felt very dizzy, like the earth was about to swallow her up.

Charlotte felt unstable on her feet.

And she even swayed a little.

But Gavin didn't notice, too wrapped up in the grief he had been suppressing since finding out.

"I will find out why". He muttered, "the crime…I'll find out what it was".

Minutes went by, where Charlotte couldn't utter a single word.

Gavin was muttering under his breath, but she couldn't hear him, she could only hear the sound of her heart, which was beating like a drum in her ears. Eventually, Gavin told her directly;

"you can't tell anyone. If the Jerry's find out you're here, you'll be on red alert".

Charlotte didn't respond.

"If anyone asks what this was about, tell them your brothers died during the Battle of France". Gavin told her, "if you fall into the arms of the enemy and they find out who you are…I would suggest giving them a fake name, Charlotte".

She didn't care about that.

Charlotte was only thinking about her older brothers.

The last family she had to hold onto, they were gone.

And she felt alone, all over again.

Gavin's eyes shone with regret and tears;

"I'm sorry, Charlotte". He whispered.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte shook her head.

Giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, Gavin put on his cap;

"good luck". He told her, before leaving the room.

When the door closed, Charlotte's head bowed, staring at her muddy boots, which stained the cream rug underneath her feet. Licking her bottom lip, she rubbed the back of her neck, which felt sore and tense. The spotlight which moved away from her brothers and onto her died and she was left in the dark. With no parents to please, no brothers to admire, Charlotte was alone. She was the last living Gallagher in her family. And what hurt the most, was knowing that her brothers didn't die during the Battle of France, they were taken prisoner with the rest of the Division. They could have still been alive if the German's hadn't found them guilty for a "crime" they had apparently committed.

Winters stepped into the room.

He didn't say anything for a moment and simply watched Charlotte, with a concerned frown. But Charlotte knew he was there and said to him;

"he knew my brothers". Charlotte whispered, "eh…they're – they're dead, eh?"

Taking in a deep breath, Winters walked over to her.

She shrugged;

"thought they might have been anyway but…I 'dunno, feels pretty shit".

Charlotte didn't mention how they died.

She didn't need to.

Winters hand went on her shoulder.

Charlotte said;

"anyway". She mumbled thickly, "least I know now, eh? Not that mum or dad are around to know. Just me, I suppose".

Winters, letting go of her shoulder, soon wrapped his arms around her.

Blinking a few times, in a small state of shock, Charlotte's face was pressed up against his lower chest, arms lying stiff to her side. Eventually, she felt her bottom lip quiver, while a tear rolled down her face. Sniffing, Charlotte cleared her throat and found her arms going around his waist.

Closing her eyes, she felt her face crumble.

But stopped herself from breaking completely.

Winters held her tight.

And, after a few minutes, he pulled back, though kept both hands on her shoulders.

Crouching a little, he told her;

"you're not alone, Lottie".

Lip quivering again, Charlotte gave him a tiny nod in return.

"Hang tough, trooper".

Charlotte would just need to "hang tough", they were still out on the line.

However, a few seconds after he told her that, Nixon walked into the room, with a grin;

"we're leaving the line". He said, "pack up your bags, kids – we're going to Mourmelon".

**…**

Mourmelon was a camp in France, where the men were able to rest and recover.

Upon arrival, they had a hot shower, a hot meal and slept on the beds with soft pillows under their heads. The men slept all through the night, without any disturbances. And they woke up the next morning, where they were given another hot meal and a pass to leave the camp and head into the town for a drink.

Arriving at the local bar, the men drank themselves into a heavily intoxicated state. Charlotte was among the many men, who were so drunk, that they could barely stand. Unlike their previous times in getting drunk together, Martin and Charlotte weren't dancing, they didn't have their happy feet and they weren't having such a good time. Instead, they were getting into shouting matches with men from other units and fights were breaking out everywhere. It wasn't like being in a pub back in Aldbourne, it was like being in London again but times one hundred.

Chairs were being thrown; tables were tossed over.

Glasses went flying across the room and smashed into walls or heads.

Men were bruised, swollen and covered in blood.

It was hellish inside the pub.

And the poor bartender was taking cover behind the bar.

When they got back to camp, the men weren't allowed back into town again. They were banned from the local pub. However, they were still given weekend passes into Paris or Reims. Grant was even given a pass back to England. But until that day arrived, Charlotte, Martin and Alton More had to sneak a lot of booze into their barracks.

They hid their stash under the floorboards, which went unnoticed by the Platoon officers. For the first few days in camp, Charlotte got drunk with her friends. She was trying to forget Holland and forget about her brothers. And she was doing a good job of it. She was too drunk to remember and too hungover to care. Jackson wasn't a huge fan of her coping skills;

"lay off the booze, Lottie". He told her one night.

Charlotte hiccupped and giggled;

"shut up, Jack".

Heffron huffed out a laugh;

"she's fine, Jack-"

"this isn't right, Babe". Jackson argued, "she's getting too damn drunk every night".

"We're not on the line". Eddie Joint pointed out, "what's the issue?"

But the three-day bender ended, when training began.

With the replacements moving into the barracks, they had a lot of men to train. But the problem was, the Toccoa men couldn't take training seriously. They had done the real thing; they knew how to fight and act in combat and training was sloppy. The replacements were having a hard time fitting in. Not even Charlotte bothered to remember their names.

1st squad still had Jackson, J.B Stokes, Charlotte, Heffron, Eddie Joint, Lesniewski, Harold Hayes and of course, Toye as their leader. George Potter would hopefully return back to the squad as soon as possible but after Market Garden and holding the line on the Island, they had lost three men.

Struggling to fit in with 1st squad were two new boys;

Raymond Watson and Fred Davis.

Both twenty and both as green as Spring grass.

Toye made an effort to get to know his two new guys. And he expected the others to do the same. Kiehn of course, had to set a good example for the other men and ended up learning that Watson was from Boston and Davis was originally from Southern Ireland but moved to Brooklyn at the age of four.

"So…you like to drink?"

Looking up from her rifle, Charlotte saw Davis standing by her bed.

"Aye, maybe – how? Who say's that?"

"Uh – I saw your stash last night". He told her, "you're not very good at hiding your booze".

Charlotte pulled a face;

"eh?"

Davis smirked, "under the floorboards? It's the first place I'd look".

"Are you trying to be my pal?" Charlotte asked.

She then looked back down at her rifle;

"leave me alone". Charlotte muttered, "go and annoy someone else".

Davis sat on the bed opposite her.

He wasn't moving.

"Look – I'm trying, huh? Sargent Toye said you were a cool-hand".

She shook her head;

"I'm off my head". Charlotte mumbled, "you don't want to be my pal".

"That's not what I heard". He argued softly, "anyway…you're pretty badass back home. Colonel Gallagher's daughter, fighting with the Yanks".

Not replying to that, Charlotte continued to clean her rifle.

While Davis thought of what to say next.

Eventually, he said;

"so, uh – what do you guys do around here for fun?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"nothing…try and get drunk, I guess".

Davis snorted, "great – well, I don't drink". He said, "promised my mom I wouldn't".

"That's shit". She mumbled, though, didn't sound very interested.

He sighed, "yeah, I guess…but, I don't need the booze. I'm a riot".

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte looked up at him;

"aye, you sure sound it, man. You're bringing the best patter".

"Patter?" Davis wondered.

She shrugged;

"you know, like chat. Conversation and stuff – what I'm trying to say is, your patter is boring, mate. But it's fine, cause mines is worse".

Davis smiled;

"well, maybe we're meant to be pals, huh? Seeing as we're both shit".

Her lips twitched.

She extended her hand;

"Lottie".

Davis grinned and shook her hand;

"Fred Davis".

Letting go of the handshake, Charlotte placed her hand back onto her rifle.

"So…you don't want to be letting your mum down, Fred?"

"Nope". He replied, "you see, I lost my dad to the drink".

Charlotte's face fell;

"I'm sorry". She whispered, "it's shit, eh?"

Davis shrugged;

"I never knew the guy, Lottie. He vanished after we moved to America".

"Must have been hard for your mum".

He shook his head, "no way, Lottie. She was better off without him. That man did nothing but bring her down. He was useless".

"So…where is he?"

"I'm not sure". Davis mumbled, "in a bar somewhere".

Charlotte decided to change the subject;

"what's back home for you?"

"No one". Davis said, "except for my mom".

"You're alone then?"

He shrugged;

"pretty much-"

"same". Charlotte cut him off, "sorry…just feels like everyone's got someone back waiting for them, eh? Like, Bill's got Frannie, and they're 'gonna get married. Johnny is married and Chuck's got a lot of lassies supporting him".

Davis grinned;

"sounds like Sargent Grant gets around".

Charlotte laughed;

"aye, he does".

"So…you're single, Lottie?"

She nodded, "aye…single".

"Why?"

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"well, I'm here, eh? Can't find someone out on the line".

Davis snorted, "you're kidding, right? Christ, this whole place is filled with guys".

She pulled a face, "that's rank, man…these guys are like family, you know? Would be weird".

"Yeah, I guess".

Biting his bottom lip, Davis nodded towards her rifle;

"you've been cleaning the same spot for almost forty minutes".

Charlotte sighed;

"well, it's boring without Bill sometimes, eh? He's my best pal".

"Sargent Guarnere, right? I've heard some wild stories about him".

Charlotte smiled, "well, he's a wild guy, Fred".

She decided Fred Davis was an alright guy.

Davis didn't go to college and he left school to work.

It was just him and his mum.

No one else.

And for a while, it was just Charlotte and her dad.

Davis and Charlotte had a lot in common.

So, for the next week, they spent a lot of time together. Charlotte even got Davis to try out for the Platoon baseball team, which he was soon apart of. They played ball when the training day ended and talked about life in general. Davis's mum was a nurse, she was only seventeen when she had her son and didn't have any other children. They were a Catholic raised family, but Davis excluded himself from the religion;

"I didn't like it". He told her, while the pair of them sat outside of the barrack one night, sharing a cigarette. "I like to take people as they are. Not over their religion".

"Your mum agree with your choice?" Charlotte asked.

Davis shrugged;

"she was a bit disappointed but she's only happy if it makes me happy".

"That's a good mum right there". She told him softly, with a smile. "My mum wasn't like that".

"No?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"my brothers had the spotlight, eh? I wasn't the perfect daughter, I guess".

Davis shrugged, "well, I think you're pretty cool".

Looking at him, she smiled;

"thanks, Fred".

Licking his bottom lip, Davis stubbed out the cigarette.

Which wasn't finished.

Charlotte frowned;

"the fuck, man?"

But soon, all words left her, when Davis pressed his lips against hers.

Eyes widening, Charlotte went still.

She didn't kiss him back, but she also didn't push him away.

And because of this reaction, Davis was torn between laughter and confusion;

"what is it?" He whispered, face inches from hers.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte leaned away;

"I'm just…don't do that, alright? It's not my – sorry, Fred".

Davis frowned, "oh, I thought…I thought you liked me".

"I do – Fred, you're a good guy, you know?"

"So, what's the issue?" Davis asked, still confused, "we have a lot in common, you helped me get onto the baseball team…you find me attractive-"

"eh?" Charlotte frowned, "when did – I never said that".

"You did". He said, "you said I had a nice smile".

"Aye, you do". She confirmed, "but…what does that mean, man? Loads of my friends have nice smiles, you know? Doesn't mean anything".

"I don't understand". Davis said, "usually, when a girl gives you a compliment, you take that as a hint, you know?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow;

"Jesus…then I've been giving my pals loads of hints".

"Well, maybe you have".

She pulled a face;

"nah, I was being sarcastic, Fred".

Sighing, Davis rubbed the back of his neck;

"shit".

Charlotte shook her head;

"it's fine, Fred".

He groaned, "I feel like an idiot".

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte felt bad for Davis.

And he did look a little foolish and regretful.

Frowning, she placed a hand on his arm;

"you're not an idiot, Fred". Charlotte assured him, "maybe I was just being too pally with you?"

Sighing, Davis shook his head;

"no, it's not your fault, Lottie".

"Not yours either, man". She shrugged, "just one of those things, eh?"

Looking down at her, he smiled;

"thanks, Lottie". He said, "Sargent Toye's right, you are a cool-hand".


	32. Chapter 31

While she was zipping up her jacket, Jackson came bursting into the barrack.

He grinned;

"Buck's home!"

Everyone left the barrack, to greet their Platoon leader.

Buck still looked the same, perhaps a little weak from being inside the hospital and not getting much exercise done but it wouldn't take him long to get his muscles back. Of course, when the Lieutenant saw all his men running over, a large grin spread across his face. It was like seeing a big brother come home after being away. Not having Buck around to lead the Platoon was strange and everyone missed him.

They shook the man's hand, clapped him on the back and welcomed him home once again. But Charlotte went that little bit extra and ended up pulling him into a very tight hug;

"oh my God never leave us". She said into his chest, "you left us with an insane man, sir".

Buck of course frowned and looked over at the men.

Toye cleared his throat;

"take it you didn't meet Lieutenant Dike?"

Muck whistled;

"we'd know if Buck met Dike, Joe".

Malarkey snorted, "you've got that right".

Charlotte pulled back from the hug and looked up at their Lieutenant;

"he's our new CO, sir". She informed him, "and he's a nut".

Buck tried to hide his smile;

"why?"

"Foxhole Norman". Heffron explained, "you don't see much of him out in combat".

"You'll see plenty of him here". Jackson added, "the brass love him, because he's good at training the newbies".

"But he's proper shit, man". Charlotte mumbled, shaking her head.

Buck sighed, "well…I guess I should go meet him, huh?"

Malarkey stepped forward;

"I'll take you to him, Buck". He said, "he's up at HQ with Captain Winters".

"So…Dick got Major Horton's old job?" Buck asked.

"Aye". Charlotte confirmed, "don't worry, sir…you haven't missed much".

Having Buck back with them was the best news possible.

But it got even better, when Guarnere returned a few hours later.

His reception home was a little more intense. Of course, Charlotte hugged him tightly, much like she had done for Buck and after that warm welcome, Martin and Christenson dragged the pair of them into the Sargent's barrack for a "quick drink".

With the rumour of not seeing any combat until March, they decided to throw a giant party on the behalf of the war in Europe coming to an end, as well as Guarnere's return. First, they wanted the best alcohol possible to suit the mood and in order to do that, they'd need to head into town to get the right supplies.

Toye, Grant, Christenson, Martin and Charlotte escaped the camp after lights out.

Heading into town, Guarnere tossed a rock into a window and broke into a shop, where they ended up taking around twenty cases of champagne. Charlotte, aware that Winters would probably murder her, was too happy about Guarnere's return to care.

With all the champagne they could carry each, they snuck back into camp and threw a party in the barrack. With the drinks flowing and the bubbly alcohol lifting their spirits, the men and Charlotte had a great time. It was like old times again, the party was fun, and they all got as "drunk as skunks", as Guarnere would put it.

Destroying the barrack happened by accident at first.

While lighting a cigarette, Charlotte almost set one of the bunks on fire. And while she was busy yelling that, Martin fell over a chair and broke the legs off. Guarnere figured that looked like fun, and grabbed another chair, deliberately smashing it into pieces. Toye decided to turn things up and ended up ripping one of the bunks off the floor. He held it above his head, with a large grin. Grant ran over and was about to tackle him to the ground, seeing this, Toye ended up throwing the bunk out of the window. The glass smashed everywhere.

For a moment, the party went silent.

They all stared at the broken window.

"Ah – fuck it". Christenson muttered, before picking up a chair and throwing it out of another window.

Blinking a few times, Charlotte took a step away from the window, before glass smashed below her feet. Biting her bottom lip, she took a drink from her bottle of champagne and soon flinched, when Martin ripped another bunk off the floor. He tossed it onto its side, grabbed the blanket and shoved it into a metal bin before setting it on fire. To feed the fire, Guarnere added some champagne;

"even flames need to drink". He said.

Around her, the men were completely trashing the place.

Charlotte sat in the corner of the barrack and hid behind one of the mattresses, while drinking her champagne. She couldn't see but she could hear all the commotion. They were laughing and yelling like cavemen. The men were going crazy. Charlotte figured they were letting off steam. Especially Guarnere, who had been trapped inside a hospital. The guy even went AWOL, just to get back to Easy again.

She felt slightly overwhelmed by all the turmoil.

Charlotte decided the safest place was behind that mattress.

Among all that chaos, 1st Sargent Lipton's voice roared above it;

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

And, like a switch, the men went quiet.

Lipton glared at each of them;

"you're all meant to be damn Sargent's! You're all meant to be NCO's, setting a good example! This!"

Lipton's footsteps came marching down the barrack.

He picked up a plank of wood;

"this is not acceptable!"

While he yelled, he threw the plank of wood and it hit the mattress which Charlotte was hiding behind.

"Get this cleaned up – NOW!"

Charlotte peeked around her mattress, she looked up at Lipton;

"is it safe to come out?"

Pulling a face, the 1st Sargent looked down at her.

Charlotte shrugged;

"I didn't 'wanna get hit…by wood and shit".

She was made to clean up the mess.

And it took them all night.

Hungover the next morning, they all had football practice.

Charlotte didn't, she wasn't on the team.

So, she decided to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

**…**

While the men viewed a movie inside the theatre, Charlotte was busy writing out a letter. It was addressed to Winters parents. She had received a letter from Edith Winters and decided to write back to the woman, informing her that all was well, and Charlotte was doing just fine. Richard Winters wasn't doing so well; he was having stomach issues.

Lying on the bed, on her stomach, Charlotte used a book for a desk while she wrote out the letter. And as she was just finishing up, Winters walked into the almost empty barrack. All the men had gone off to watch the movie, it was a luxury for them.

"You're writing?" Winters asked curiously.

Charlotte smiled small;

"your mum wrote me a letter…I'm writing back to her".

The Captain smiled.

Walking down the strip, he took a seat on the edge of Charlotte's bed;

"I've been meaning to catch up on my letters". Winters mumbled, "I never get the time".

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, your mum tells me". She mumbled, "don't worry, she understands that you're busy, sir".

"Well, I'm glad she understands, Lottie".

Smiling still, Charlotte signed the letter with;

"love, Lottie". And sealed it away in an envelope.

"We haven't had the chance to talk since we left Holland". Winters pointed out quietly, "how're you doing, Lottie?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"I'm alright, sir". She mumbled, "how are you?"

He smiled;

"doing just fine, trooper". He then added, "it's good that you've accepted Private Davis as your friend".

Charlotte snorted;

"how'd you know 'bout that one?"

Winters smiled, "I have my resources".

Pushing herself up, she sat up and pulled her legs up towards her chest.

Leaning against the wall behind her, Charlotte looked up at Winters;

"was thinking the other day…and I don't do that loads, you know?"

"What? Think?" Winters smirked, "I'm pretty sure you do that a lot, Lottie".

"Nah – I mean, like…reflect? I think?"

The Captain nodded;

"I see". He said, "well, I often do that".

"Aye, I know". Charlotte said quietly, "you're like…a regular reflector".

Winters chuckled;

"is that so, trooper?"

She nodded, "aye but – nothing wrong with that, sir. I just don't like to…think too much 'bout stuff, you know? Cause I'd hate to feel sad and that".

Winters tilted his head to the side, indicating that he was listening.

Charlotte sighed;

"I said something to Fred like two weeks ago or something". She mumbled, "we were talking 'bout our mums…'cause he's only got his mum, eh? And she seems pretty cool, you know? Like, Fred didn't 'wanna be a Catholic anymore and his mum was alright with it, 'cause it made him happy and whatever".

Biting her bottom lip, she looked over at Winters, making sure he was still listening.

He gave her a kind smile;

"yeah?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"do you think…like deep down, maybe his mum was sad? But she just didn't 'wanna tell him, in case it made him sad?"

Letting out a little sigh, Winters pulled a thoughtful frown.

"You know…I think maybe Fred's mom was genuinely alright with it, Lottie".

"Aye?"

He nodded, "a parents love should always hold the child's best interest. What I've learned, is a parent will love their child unconditionally, no matter what they believe. So, yeah, Fred's mom will love and support him no matter what. As should any parent".

"I'd do the same for my kid". Charlotte whispered.

Smiling, Winters nodded;

"I know you would, trooper".

He then asked;

"what did you say in your letter?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"said cheers for the previous letter…thanks for letting me live with you…and that everything is fine and dandy on the front line".

Winters smiled;

"very informative, Lottie".

"I'm not good at writing letters, sir". Charlotte said, "my letters to Santa were terrible".

He chuckled.

Charlotte smiled, "seriously, sir…I just wrote on one of them, a chocolate bar".

"And did you receive a chocolate bar?"

She pulled a face;

"no! I didn't". Charlotte muttered, "Santa must have been in the huff with me that year".

Winters shrugged;

"well, maybe you'll get lucky this year, huh?"

"Aye, maybe".

Winters checked his watch;

"come on, we're going to see the movie".

Charlotte almost groaned;

"do we have to?" She mumbled, "it's a romance, sir…and I hate romance".

Smiling, Winters nodded;

"yup, we're going – get up, Private Gallagher".

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte sighed dramatically and got up.

"Fine". She said.

Winters snorted;

"it's not like I'm asking you to run up Currahee, or clean up your messy space, Lottie".

Charlotte looked a little offended;

"my space isn't messy – I cleaned it this morning".

He raised an eyebrow, "Lottie, you did not clean your part of the barrack this morning. Look at the state of your mess kit…and your rifle…Jesus, have you seen your-"

"right, okay, sir". She said, cutting him off. "I'll do it later".

"You'd better". Winters warned her, while they walked out of the barrack. "I'll be checking in tomorrow morning, Charlotte – 0800 hours".

Charlotte frowned;

"0800, sir?"

He nodded, "yup – on the dot. Not a second later. And if your side of the barrack isn't cleaned, then you're on kitchen duties that day".

Licking her bottom lip, she looked up at the Captain;

"here, sir?"

"What?"

"Can't it be like…0830 hours?"

Winters sighed;

"give me a good reason and I'll consider 0815 hours".

Rubbing her nose, she tried to think of a good enough reason.

"You see, sir". Charlotte began to say, "when I'm not cleaning my part of the barrack, I'm actually waiting in line for about thirty minutes".

"In line for what?"

"To wash my face and stuff in the latrines". She said, "all the lads have to be shaving, right? And it's always a race to the latrines and I'm always losing, cause sometimes, they hide my boots or my trousers during the night when I'm asleep…and I can't find them".

Winters smirked;

"sleep with one eye open, Lottie".

"If I did that, then I'd only be half asleep".

Walking into the theatre, with only the screen as a source of light, Charlotte took a seat beside Lipton at the end of the row, while Winters went over to sit behind Buck. Leaning back against the chair, Charlotte crossed her arms over her chest and looked up towards the screen. In the row behind them, Luz gave Lipton's back a shove;

"Lip, favourite part". He said.

Lipton looked over his shoulder and shushed Luz.

Frowning, Charlotte looked behind her;

"what part, George?" She asked.

Luz smirked, before saying;

"got a penny…got a penny?"

Pulling a confused face, Charlotte leaned away from him, thinking her friend had just lost his mind. Luz took a drag from his cigarette;

"got a…penny?"

_ "Got a penny?"_ The actress on the screen said.

Soon, Luz's face broke out into a huge grin and a laugh.

Charlotte blinked a few times.

While Lipton looked back at him, pissed off.

"What?" Luz asked, innocently.

Charlotte shrugged and leaned further back in her chair, unaware that the back legs had lifted up. "Nothing". She mumbled, "just you – SHIT!"

She suddenly exclaimed, when the chair fell forwards, sending Charlotte tumbling to the ground. Toye and Lipton both sighed.

"Can't we just watch the damn movie quietly?!" Toye exclaimed.

"LIGHTS!" A voice soon ordered.

Still on the ground, Charlotte sat up a little and saw two Sargent's walk into the room. Lipton reached down and grabbed the fallen chair and sat it up again. The two Sargent's walked in front of the screen, causing the men to groan and complain.

"I said, QUIET!" The Sargent demanded. "Elements of the 1st and the 6th SS Panzer Division have broken through in the Ardennes forest. Now, they've overrun the 28th Infantry and elements of the 4th. All officers report to respective HQ's. All passes are cancelled".

The men all let out exclaims of protest.

"Enlisted men, report to your barracks and Platoon leaders".

When the two Sargent's left the theatre, men started to clear the theatre. Lipton reached down, grabbed Charlotte's arm and pulled her up. She sighed;

"Lip?"

"Yeah?" Lipton asked her quietly, while they walked towards the doors.

Charlotte shook her head;

"so much for Paris, eh?"

The 1st Sargent wrapped his arm around her shoulders;

"chin up, buddy. It's 'gonna be fine".

Charlotte frowned;

"I'm not sure". She mumbled, "we don't have winter clothes, Lip. What if we all freeze out there?"

"We're not 'gonna freeze, Lottie". Lipton told her.

Standing outside, a cold wind soon greeted them.

Charlotte shuddered;

"it's already cold".

Lipton let out a tiny sigh;

"Lottie, there's no point in complaining".

"Sorry, Lip". She said quietly, "but I'm not…I'm worried".

Charlotte had every right to be worried. All the men were low on ammo, supplies, winter clothes and other essentials they'd need out on the line. They had a bunch of replacements going with them, who were still getting used to the Company and some of the men were away on weekend passes, Strayer included. He was still in London.

Everyone was grabbing all the supplies they could get their hands on.

They packed them away into trucks, along with their other gear. Men looked slightly scared and rattled, from the shock of it all, especially the replacements. Davis looked worried, frightened even. His eyes were slightly wide, and he looked pale.

Standing by the back of the truck, Charlotte handed a bag up to Toye.

Davis soon walked over, with his bag;

"here, Lottie".

"Cheers, man".

Taking his bag, Charlotte handed it to Toye.

She then noticed how scared Davis actually looked. And she couldn't blame him, Charlotte was scared too but Davis didn't have to know that. She gave him a little smile;

"you know, your folks back-"

"the folks back home sure won't believe this". Came a familiar voice.

Toye grinned;

"Geo – you're back!"

Potter smiled, "God healed me in that hospital. And I'm back for good".

Charlotte shook her friend's hand with a grin;

"good to see you again, Geo – this is Fred Davis, he's in our squad".

Potter reached over and shook the replacement's hand;

"so…I heard we're heading to a forest?" Potter asked, "do we know much?"

"Nope". Toye replied, "we don't even know where we're going, Geo".

With not a lot to go on, Charlotte figured her best option was Guarnere.

However, when she went over to him, he quickly informed her;

"Lottie, I ain't got a damn clue".

Charlotte sighed and felt her shoulders drop;

"we just 'wanna know where we're going, Bill".

"Yeah, I know, Lottie". He mumbled, "you get any supplies?"

She shrugged;

"none of us have enough".

Guarnere shook his head;

"fucking army".

Biting her lip with worry, Charlotte looked around at all the men, who were busy packing up what they could find into the backs of the trucks. Eventually, she moved away from Guarnere and found Winters, Buck and Peacock gathered around a fire. Feeling herself freezing up, she moved towards the flaming barrel and decided to grab whatever warmth she could, before they left. Stepping in next to Winters, Charlotte raised her hands towards the flame and let out a tiny sigh of content.

Winters looked down at her;

"and we just wanted to watch that movie, huh?" He said lightly.

Charlotte snorted;

"I wasn't fussed 'bout the movie, sir". She said, "this is way more exciting".

"You get anything good, goofy?" Buck asked her.

Frowning, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…barely nothing, sir".

She felt a ton of nerves settle in her gut;

"is it…is this 'gonna be bad?"

The three officers didn't reply to that.

But they didn't have to, because Lieutenant Dike suddenly appeared on Winters other side.

"Captain Winters". He greeted.

"Oh, Lieutenant Dike, I've been looking for you". Winters said, not sounding overly happy.

"Sir, we have a problem". Dike stated.

Charlotte felt herself nod;

_ "we certainly do have a bloody problem"._ She thought.

But Dike ended up saying;

"Colonel Strayer has not yet returned from some wedding he's attending in London. Can you believe that? We're going to the front – we're going to the front here, and our CO isn't even in the same damn country".

However, before Charlotte could even think how tiny a problem that was, Winters soon said;

"you have a bigger problem, Lieutenant Dike. You have men returning to action without proper cold weather clothing and not enough ammo".

"Sir?" Dike sounded a little confused.

"I suggest you take a canvass of the entire base. Get what materials you have before you roll out. Or have you done that already?"

Charlotte lip's twitched in slight amusement.

Eyes widening a little, she continued to stare at the flames.

At least it wasn't her getting a telling off from Winters that time around.

"No, sir". Dike replied quietly.

"K rations, as many as you can scrounge. We don't know if we'll be resupplied or not". Winters ordered him.

"Yes, sir". The Lieutenant responded.

"And what about ammo?" Peacock asked.

"There is no more ammo". Winters said, "distribute it amongst the men as best you can so, at least everybody has something".

"Lieutenant Compton, Lieutenant Peacock". Dike said, "inform Lieutenant Shames of the situation. Get all your Platoons as best equipped as you can, and then report back here to me, understood?"

"Yes, sir".

When Buck and Peacock left, Charlotte remained almost hidden by Winters side.

Dike hadn't even noticed her there and she didn't mind at all.

Her hands were kept warm for a few more moments by the flames.

"What have you got, Lottie?" Winters asked, while looking down at her.

Charlotte shrugged;

"not enough to hold a line, sir". She mumbled, "but maybe we'll get lucky, eh? Like, maybe someone will come running along to help…cause I don't think they'd want us to be proper naked out there, you know?"

Winters could appreciate her positivity, or perhaps she was naïve.

But either way, at least Charlotte had some sense of hope left in her.

Smiling small, he nodded;

"you're right, Lottie…maybe someone will come and help, huh?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"just don't see why they wouldn't, sir".

Sighing, she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Well, sir". She said, looking up at Winters, "it's the 17th of December, it's pure cold and that fire was probably the last bit of warm I'll have for a while".

Winters seemed to frown a little, "let's hope it doesn't come to that, trooper".

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder;

"still wouldn't be anywhere else, sir".


	33. Chapter 32

Cramped into the back of trucks like a pack of sardines, the men travelled through the night, with their headlights on full blast. The roads were damaged with potholes, which made the journey extremely uncomfortable on their stomachs and kidneys. With the added nerves, they were in for the most unpleasant journey. After a few hours into their journey, the trucks started to smell like vomit, while men lost the battle with their stomachs.

However, inside Charlotte's truck, things were pretty tame.

Buck and Guarnere were by the flap of the truck, getting the most air.

Charlotte was in the middle, stuck in between Lipton and Jackson.

And right at the back, was Toye, with Malarkey, Muck and Penkala.

Heffron was directly opposite her, with Eddie Joint and Kiehn next to him.

"I wonder how the rest are doing". Jackson said, "this road ain't very forgiving".

Charlotte shook her head;

"feels like my tummy's trying to get out my mouth".

Heffron grimaced;

"don't talk about stomachs, alright? I'm having my own stomach problems".

"It's cold in here". Eddie said, "how long have we been in this damn truck for?"

"Coming up three hours". Lipton replied.

"Jesus". Jackson muttered, "no wonder we're starting to feel it".

Charlotte would never admit just how scared she felt. She didn't have much adrenaline this time around, she could only feel this pressing fear, that they were about to step into something terrible. And not only that but they weren't prepared for it, in no way whatsoever. With no winter clothes, Charlotte and the men were frozen inside the truck.

The back of her head knocked against the side of the truck, when the tyres dipped into a huge pothole. Her helmet tipped forward and covered her eyes. When she pushed her helmet back up, she spotted Eddie, who was retching into his helmet. Shuddering, Charlotte looked away.

Heffron had a hand on his friends back;

"Jesus, Eddie". He said, "what the hell did you eat?"

Jackson paled and quickly took off his helmet.

Charlotte's eyes widened;

"nah, come on, Jack". She almost pleaded, "if you get sick – I'll get sick. And I can't be fucked puking in my helmet tonight".

"Sorry, Lottie". Jackson groaned, while leaning over his helmet.

When he heaved, Charlotte looked away from him.

"Shit". She mumbled, "this is proper shit".

"Come on, Lottie!" Malarkey called cheerfully from the back, "can't be worse than our previous experience inside the truck!"

Toye pulled a face;

"Malark, we ain't talking about your ass right now, huh? Folk are feeling sick enough as it is".

Guarnere laughed;

"that was a long ass time ago, Don! Way back in Normandy, huh?"

Charlotte snorted;

"your arse was reeking that day, Malark".

It was nice to reflect on that memory back in the truck at Normandy. After destroying those batteries and eating a hot meal with friends. Despite Malarkey's bad gas, it was an enjoyable moment for them.

Charlotte lips twitched;

"told you he wasn't a Quaker, pal!"

"Shut up, Lottie". Guarnere grumbled, while the men shared a quick laugh.

"What'd I do with this?" Eddie Joint asked, referring to his helmet filled with vomit.

Buck sighed and leaned forward;

"give it here, Eddie. I'll get rid of it".

"My helmet?!"

Guarnere rolled his eyes;

"no, you stupid mick! That shit inside your helmet".

Looking a little embarrassed, Eddie handed his helmet to the front.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte ended up leaning against Lipton.

The side of her body pressed up against his arm and she tried to get comfortable.

Jackson leaned forward and passed his helmet up to get emptied.

Letting out a shaky breath, he leaned into Charlotte;

"I feel like a bag of shit". He mumbled.

Charlotte snorted;

"same".

Reaching into her jacket pocket, she bought out a tissue;

"here". She said, handing it to Jackson.

"Thanks". He said, "where'd you get these?"

"Latrines". Charlotte said, "thought they'd come in handy".

Jackson wiped his face;

"well, they did". He commented softly, "thanks, Lottie".

She then handed him a piece of juicy fruit.

Which Jackson chuckled at;

"thanks, Lottie".

Charlotte's eyes landed on Kiehn, who was almost sleeping. She wondered how on earth the man could sleep through all the bumping and wished she could do the same. At least then, she wouldn't feel sick or frightened. Eyes moving away from Kiehn, Charlotte looked over at Hayes, who was staring down at his rifle, with a thoughtful frown. The truck had gone a little quiet, while the men wondered what was to come.

A tiny smile soon reached her lips.

And she started to sing, pretty badly;

"pains in my feet, pains in my back, pains on my shoulders – pains in my ass".

A few men chuckled at that, though Muck laughed the hardest.

"It's a full circle". Malarkey said, "I knew your song would come back around, Skip".

"Man". Toye whispered, "that was a long time ago".

Potter smiled, "I always liked that song, Skip…and I did tell the folks at home in my letter".

Bringing out a cigarette, Muck grinned;

"famous now, huh?"

Charlotte frowned;

"we didn't get resupplied with ciggies". She mumbled, "the fuck?"

Jackson sighed;

"I know". He muttered, "damn army".

The men weren't happy about the lack of ammo, clothing and food but what pissed some of them off the most, was their lack of cigarettes. Almost everyone in the Company smoked. They went through ten to fourteen cigarettes a day. Sometimes, even more, it depended on what kind of day they were having. Charlotte wished she never started smoking.

"I'm quitting". She stated.

"What?!" Heffron exclaimed, "you can't do that-"

"what the fuck, Lottie?!" Guarnere yelled from the front.

"Jesus…she's lost her fucking head". Toye said.

"What's the point?" Charlotte said, "we don't have loads left, lads. May as well quit now before it starts to hurt".

After a few moments of silence, Jackson said;

"well…if you ain't 'gonna smoke them-"

"hey!" Malarkey cut him off, "share them out fairly, Jack".

After a long and gruelling journey, the trucks finally stopped. The men rushed to get out, desperate to escape the stench of vomit. Men had poured petrol into potholes and tossed in lit matches, creating a glorious flame. Charlotte and a few others gathered around the fire, like a moth to the light. They greedily warmed up their hands and faces, glad for the warmth.

"Where the fuck are we?" Jackson muttered.

"No idea". Guarnere said back, "we're on the side of a road".

"A road to where?" Potter questioned, "that's the real question".

Heffron snorted;

"a road to hell?"

"That wouldn't surprise me". Toye mumbled.

"Jesus it's so fucking cold". Charlotte mumbled, "thank fuck for this fire. I was about turning into a block of ice inside the truck".

"How's it going, fellas – goofy". Buck was soon standing with the small group of men, who were gathered around the flames, shivering their boots off. "Got some information for you".

The men quietened down.

While they all turned to face Buck.

"We're defending the roads outside of a town called Bastogne. It's our job to hold the line, we can't let the Krauts use the roads, if they do, they'll use the roads to capture the seaport at Antwerp. If the Krauts take Antwerp, we're in big shit".

"How the hell are we supposed to hold the damn line, with so little?" Potter demanded.

Which was surprising to hear the usually soft-spoken man sound so angry.

That raised a few eyebrows Potters way.

Even Buck looked a little taken aback.

"Uh…we'll have some units from the 10th Armored, they'll be stationed in town and ready whenever we need them". Buck said, "Team Cherry and Team Desiree".

Charlotte asked;

"where's the roads, sir?"

"In the woods, east of Bastogne. The Jacks woods". Buck told her, "we'll dig in, sit tight and hold the line".

"The Krauts will have its eyes on us". Guarnere muttered, "are we 'gonna be surrounded again?"

Buck shrugged;

"I'm not sure, Gurno. We'll be pretty spread out, the whole of the 506th are covering the east woods. If no one pulls back, then we should be fine".

"We ain't pulling back". Toye mumbled, "I ain't retreating again".

"Nah, that sucked". Charlotte agreed, "we've just 'gotta hold on, eh?"

"That's right". Guarnere said, "don't matter how shit we feel, we can't fucking leave".

"No fucking way". Jackson comment, "I ain't going nowhere".

Despite the crap situation, Buck found himself smiling;

"good". He said, "that's what I like to hear".

Charlotte saw some movement in the corner of her eye.

With her hands still hovering by the flame, she turned her head to the movement and felt her face drop;

"holy shit". She whispered.

Curiously, the other men followed her stare.

It was hundreds of soldiers, walking down the road, away from the front line. Some were wounded, some were weaponless but all of them looked terrified. Pale, shivering and close to tears, the men slowly walked and stumbled away from danger. And when a few of them caught sight of the men from the 506th, they began to tell them;

"they'll kill you…they'll murder you. Get out while you can".

Feeling her own eyes widen, Charlotte took a frightened step back.

And bumped into Guarnere.

"Jesus". Her best friend whispered, "look at them…".

"Look – he's got some supplies". Jackson pointed out and soon, stepped towards the retreating man. He grabbed onto his magazines, "hey, we need this, bud".

"Sure – take it all". He replied, voice flat and emotionless. "But you'll still die".

"I'd rather die with damn ammo". Jackson mumbled, while taking the soldiers magazines, he then handed them to Toye, "we should get what we can, Joe".

"Good idea". Buck said, "alright guys, let's take what they're carrying".

With a little push from Guarnere, Charlotte was soon standing next to a soldier with a bandage around his arm. Clearing her throat, she asked;

"you got anything, mate?"

"Sure". He whispered, "I got some gloves – but they're fingerless".

She shrugged;

"better than nothing, mate".

Putting on the gloves, Charlotte asked;

"is it…is it really bad?"

He nodded;

"bodies everywhere…they don't give a shit about you, they'll shell you until everyone's gone".

Frowning a little, Charlotte could feel a pool of dread sink in;

"yeah?"

"Yeah". He replied quietly, "you've never heard anything like it…the screams…the blood…the cries for their Goddamns mothers".

It was like hearing the world's scariest story.

Charlotte felt terrified.

She shivered.

"You won't survive". He whispered, "I'd run, if I were you-"

"Goofy, come with me". Buck soon had a hold of her arm.

Charlotte was dragged away from the retreating men and soon found herself near the fire. Rubbing her lips together, she looked up at their Lieutenant;

"what the fuck, sir? Those lads are terrified".

"It's 'gonna be alright-"

"nah…nah – this is shit, sir. We're all 'gonna fucking die, eh?"

"Goofy". Buck said sharply, "calm down-"

"this is fucked up, man…".

He placed both hands on her shoulders;

"goofy". Buck firmly said, "there ain't no use in freaking out, alright? We're 'gonna hold this damn line, even if we 'wanna run away, we've 'gotta stay".

Charlotte still looked frightened;

"I said I would before, eh?"

"You did". Buck confirmed.

She sighed;

"aye well…that was before these men turned up and told us all we're 'gonna die – in fact, they said we're 'gonna get murdered, sir – murdered!"

"Lottie, when you signed up for this…you knew the risks". Buck reminded her, "now, don't listen to those men, alright? They're spooked, that's all – you ever been on a horse?"

Charlotte frowned a little but shook her head;

"been around them though".

"Well, you know that horses get frightened easily, right?" Buck said, "goofy, think of them as spooked horses…running away. And think of us like lions, protecting the line".

Her frowned deepened;

"I can't go from a Goofy to a lion, sir".

Buck sighed;

"fine…well, you're another fearless animal. Look, I know it's scary, goofy but you've 'gotta calm down and listen, okay? I'll get you out of this damn thing alive – I'll get you all out alive, even if it kills me".

Charlotte's frown saddened;

"but what 'bout you?"

Shrugging, Buck squeezed her shoulders;

"it's my job to keep you all alive, goofy. What kind of leader would I be, if I didn't try?"

Her lips twitched, ever so slightly.

Nodding, Charlotte said;

"we'll keep you safe too, sir".

As if by some miracle, a man named Lieutenant George C. Rice drove down the road and towards the Regiment, where he carried ammo – much-needed ammo. All the men gathered around the back of the jeep, grabbing what they could take and issuing it out among everyone. Charlotte managed to take a few more M1 clips and grenades, while Malarkey grabbed shells for his mortar. It wasn't enough for the whole 506th but at least it was something.

When the Lieutenant drove off, Winters looked down at Charlotte and smiled;

"you were right, Lottie. Someone did come to help us".

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"not all folk are arseholes, sir".

**…**

In the distance, the men could hear the rumbles of battle and see the flashes of exploding shells. The closer they got, the louder the battle was. Charlotte did flinch a few times, hearing those shells, no matter how far they were, the noise caused anyone's body to jump with nerves or fright.

Walking through the once beautiful town of Bastogne, some of its residents came out to hand the frozen soldiers a hot beverage; black coffee – no milk or sugar. But the men gratefully took the hot drink, if only to warm them up for a few moments. Charlotte wasn't so lucky, she had experienced her last source of warmth back by the trucks, that was it for her now.

2nd Battalion reached its new home one and a half miles outside of Bastogne. It was a heavily wooded area, named the Bois Jacques. It wasn't a very warm welcome for the men. Frozen bodies scattered the woods, lying in grotesque poses providing grisly evidence that bullets and shells had been flown there earlier.

Winters put Easy on the left, Fox on the right and Dog in reserve. He set up Battalion HQ behind the two Company's on the line, although slightly shaded in Easy's direction. The men were ordered to dig in, using their entrenching tools. The men worked hard in creating the perfect foxhole to share. They hacked off branches to use as roofs, though a few men used frozen dead German bodies instead.

"It could be worse".

"You're crazy, Jack". Charlotte mumbled, "this is worse than anything".

Jackson sighed;

"was just trying to lighten the mood, Lottie".

Charlotte was standing above Jackson, who was in the ground, digging up their foxhole. Charlotte was hacking down branches and twigs with her entrenching tool for a roof. Jackson figured digging into frozen mud was possibly the hardest task, and it was. He almost broke his tool a few times. Taking a step back, Charlotte watched the branch fall onto the ground.

"I get it, man". She mumbled, "I'm just a moody mare".

Jackson felt himself smirk;

"well, I wasn't 'gonna mention anything".

Snorting, Charlotte smiled;

"cheers, Jack".

The smile soon left her face, when the sound of battle could be heard.

The defence had begun.

Looking towards the sound, Charlotte could see bright flashes in the sky and hear the rumble and explosions from shells. 1st Battalion and Team Desiree had started to attack the Germans advancing from Noville. Meaning, 2nd Battalion had the night off. For a few silent minutes, the men simply watched the sky, hoping 1st Battalion was doing okay.

Turning away from the sky, Charlotte continued to hack down trees.

Shortly after, the men got back to work.

They set up outposts at the edge of the tree line, looking over the large patch of land. Charlotte helped Bain set up the wiring from the outposts back to 2nd Platoon CP, where Buck and Guarnere were dug in. They didn't have buildings, not like the Germans in Foy. Which gave some men a sense of doubt that this might not work. If the enemy had shelter, they were bound to survive longer and withstand the cold. Easy and the 101st were out in the cold, with only branches and dead G.I's for a roof. They couldn't light fires to keep themselves warm, they didn't have winters clothes, they only had each other.

Already, Charlotte's toes were numb.

The fingerless gloves were useless, but she refused to take them off.

Her whole body was shivering from the cold and her teeth chattered.

Leaning in towards Jackson, he soon wrapped his arms around her.

The blanket covering them was thin, scratchy and didn't offer them much warmth. But it was better than nothing. Charlotte relied on that blanket to keep them warm. And Jackson was right, it could have been worse. It could have been snowing, windy and the Germans could have shelled the entire Regiment away that night.

But Easy had a very quiet and almost peaceful night.

The sky was clear, but no one could see the stars, as the fir trees were so tall, thick and clustered. If they wanted to see the sky, they'd need to step out of the forest. It was a very dark place.

Jackson and Charlotte were still very much awake.

She wasn't sure how to sleep in a place that cold.

Jackson's head came down, resting on the top of Charlotte's helmet;

"close your eyes". He said to her quietly, "and think of something nice".

Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to think of a happier moment.

Laughing hard until her stomach hurt with Guarnere.

Dancing like an idiot with Martin.

Playing baseball with her friends.

Winters teaching her how to play ball.

Laughing along with her friends, made her the happiest.

And with that, Charlotte could feel the corners of her lips twitch.

Letting out a long and deep breath, she felt her body relax.

Charlotte would just need to get used to the cold because they weren't going anywhere.

They were going to hold the line.

And they were going to put a stop to the war.


	34. Chapter 33

With a thick fog blocking the sky, snow soon followed.

It fell in giant flakes, blanketing the ground, their foxholes and the men. Turning into a living snowman, put a lot of men in the worst mood. The snow wouldn't melt, it would freeze. It stuck to their clothes, eyelashes, eyebrows and five o'clock shadows men had grown on their faces from not shaving. There wasn't much they could do to escape the cold and the medics could only give them one piece of advice;

"stay warm, keep moving. Get out of your foxhole".

It was sound advice, Charlotte figured. She was frightened to stay still, in case she turned into ice. But they couldn't do much when the Germans shelled them. During the day, the men could walk, very discreetly, from foxhole to foxhole. They'd walk to collect water, walk to outposts or walk to the slit trench latrines. During the night, they were glued inside their foxholes, for the Germans loved to shell them at night.

It was obvious what the Germans were doing; they were trying to break the men. If the men couldn't sleep, then they'd easily break. You could only go so long without sleep. And even after two days of being out on the front, some men were already looking dead on their feet.

Guarnere would set up meaningless tasks, just to get men up.

And though the Sargent received many groans and complaints, his orders always worked.

Toye would come around, pick two men for outpost duty and then two hours later, pick another two guys to relieve the other two. That was his main job. As well as looking out for his squad, he had to put them to work. Outpost duties were always a touchy subject. When they had a buddy to keep them company, it wasn't so bad. But being out there, completely alone, it felt as though that person was fighting the entire war by himself.

The man on outpost at night would usually sound off the warning that the Germans were about to shell the hell out of everyone. Men would dive into their foxholes, praying they wouldn't get blown up and if they did, then they hoped it would be quick. Charlotte hated the "Screaming Mini's", and the shell was given that name, for it was like six rockets stuck together. It would scream so loud, that their ears would pop.

As soon as they heard;

"INCOMING!"

They all prepared for chaos.

Tree's would burst, splinters would fly into flesh. And shrapnel would take the flesh off them.

It was like living in a nightmare.

Charlotte would only feel a small amount of relief when the forest got lighter.

In the morning, she'd get up and looked around.

Sometimes, limbs and blood would greet her.

However, on that morning, it was a body.

"Oh, no". She whispered.

Raymond Watson.

The Germans had a great time shelling them until it started to get light. And now, they had only noticed that they had lost their first man from the Company, a replacement. Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte got up from the foxhole and walked over to Watson. Getting on her knees, she pulled off his dog tags and placed them into her pocket.

And then, she did something out of desperation.

Charlotte took his ammo.

Feeling slightly sick, she knew it was necessary.

What was left of Watson, was buried under the snow.

Heffron said a small prayer under his breath and the day continued.

Charlotte walked along their side of the line and ended up bumping into the man she had been looking for; Guarnere. Only, he didn't look very comfortable. But then again, Charlotte would have been concerned, if he did look comfortable being inside a frozen forest.

"Alright, Bill?"

"I'm pissing needles". Guarnere muttered.

She shrugged;

"just means you've 'gotta piss more, man".

He pulled a face, "where's the damn logic in that, Lottie?"

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"well, I used to get plenty of water infections as a kid, right? So, the doctor would always tell me to keep drinking, so I piss more and get rid of the infection – see?"

Guarnere had stopped paying attention halfway through her story.

"Where's doc?"

"Doc? I 'dunno". She said, "I could find him for you?"

The Sargent nodded;

"yeah…you do that, Lottie". Guarnere agreed, "and tell him I'm pissing needles, alright?"

Smiling a little, Charlotte's hands went into her pockets;

"right". She mumbled, while blinking away the snowflakes from her eyelashes.

Turning away from her friend, Charlotte began her search for a medic.

And the first person she bumped into, was Roe.

A tiny smile lifted her face;

"alright, doc?"

Though, he didn't smile back;

"what are you doing out here, Gallagher?"

"Oh, you know…looking for you".

Charlotte stepped into pace with the medic, while they headed for Battalion HQ.

She didn't ask why they were going there and figured Roe had his reasons. But she decided to go along with him, for the walk and to keep the medic company. Their boots crunched into the soft snow, which covered the ground, for as far as the eye could see and beyond.

"Everything alright?" Roe asked, with a tiny frown.

Charlotte nodded;

"aye…I didn't bang my head or anything".

That brought a tiny smile to his lips;

"good. Keep up the good work, Gallagher".

"You'll probably hear Bill complain about pissing needles when you get back, man".

"He's just 'gotta keep on drinking".

"That's what I told him". Charlotte mumbled, "but the man won't listen to me, doc. I'm not a doctor".

Roe smirked;

"neither am I, petit. I'm a medic".

She shrugged;

"out here, you're a doctor".

"Well, I got it easy. People spend years in medical training".

Charlotte smiled;

"aye? Well, lucky you, doc". She then asked, "how come you wanted to be a medic?"

Roe shrugged, "it was more appealing to me".

"I think the job suits you, man". Charlotte commented, "like – you're a fast runner and that, eh? Plus, you've got this proper calming voice".

He raised an eyebrow;

"I do?"

She nodded, "straight up, doc". She said, "folk fall asleep to my stories but your voice could shut a crying baby up".

Roe chuckled quietly, "I highly doubt that, Gallagher".

"Where were you coming from, anyway?"

He sighed;

"I was trying to gather supplies…but I got lost".

"It's proper easy to get lost here, eh?" Charlotte stated, "like, all the fog and snow…it's like being inside a crazy maze".

Roe then looked down at her;

"have you got any morphine?"

She nodded;

"aye, I've still got mine".

His lips twitched;

"can I have it?"

Charlotte frowned and looked up at him;

"how? Are you hurt or something?"

"No…we're low on supplies, Gallagher. I need all the morphine I can get".

Nodding, Charlotte reached into her jacket pocket and brought out her aid kit;

"eh – here…just take the lot". She said, placing her kit into his hand. "I'll just have to shout on you if I get hurt, man".

"It's my job, Gallagher". Roe reminded her, "and thanks – for this".

Shrugging, Charlotte faced the front again.

In the distance, she could see Winters sitting down on the edge of his foxhole.

He was smashing up ice with his knife, creating water to shave with. Charlotte thought he was mad for shaving out in the forest, the other men didn't seem to bother but he did. When Winters saw them coming, he whispered to them;

"duck…duck".

Frowning, Charlotte and Roe both crouched down.

Soon, the Captain, with his face still smeared with shaving soap, signalled them to move towards him. Taking hold of her rifle, Charlotte stepped in behind him. Quietly, the three of them moved further up, between the trees. Charlotte couldn't spot anything, not until the fog lifted and she saw a German's pale bum.

Eyes widening a little, she aimed her rifle towards the German.

As did Winters.

"Kommen sie hier". Their Captain commanded.

The German, who was mid-squad, froze.

"Kommen sie hier, schnell!" Winters ordered again.

Slowly, the German got onto his feet and pulled up his trousers.

"Schnell!" Winters commanded again.

Charlotte then added;

"hands up!"

The German quickly put his hands above his head and made his way over to them.

With two rifles pointed at him, the German didn't put up a fight. Once the MP's were called over, Winters checked the German's jacket pockets for ID, before sending him away for questioning. But not before he tossed Roe a bandage from the German's kit.

"Take him back to Regiment". Winters ordered the MP's.

When they walked off with the German, another jeep rolled into the line.

This time, it contained Sink and General McAuliffe.

Charlotte's eyes widened a little, while she took a step back.

She stood behind Roe, making herself almost invisible.

"Gents". Sink greeted, "you all know General McAuliffe, acting Division Commander".

"Give it to me straight". The General ordered Strayer and Winters.

"We've been taking ground in position, General, losing it in another". Strayer replied, "now it looks like a stand-off, we're digging in on the edge of the forest".

"We're under sporadic artillery fire, General. We're taking a lot of hits and we have no aid station". Winters said, "we've run out of food, we have no winter clothes and we have little to no ammo. The lines spread so thin, the enemy wanders into our CP to use our trenches, sir. We just can't cover the line".

Behind her, Charlotte could hear movement.

Turning around, she saw Nixon's head poke up from his foxhole.

"Good morning, Captain Nixon". Sink greeted, "you got anything to add for General McAuliffe?"

Charlotte felt her lips twitch a little in amusement, while the Captain quickly pulled himself together, to give the man a straight answer.

"General…uh, yes, sir". Nixon began to get out of his foxhole, "General, I took a walk on the line about zero three hundred last night. Couldn't find the 501st on our right flank. I tied in with a squad from our 2nd Platoon". He gestured towards Charlotte, "but, sir, we've got some considerable gaps in our perimeter".

"I don't have enough people, sir". Strayer added, "we're spread too damn thin".

"Hold the line, Colonel". The General told Strayer, "close the gaps".

He started to walk back towards the jeep;

"this Goddamn fog won't lift anytime soon, so, you can forget about air cover". McAuliffe told them, once inside the jeep, with Sink next to him. "Your 1st Battalion just pulled out of Foy, Krauts on their tail. Tanks, artillery, got no back-up. There's a lot of shit heading this way".

Feeling her shoulders drop, Charlotte looked down at her boots.

The day was getting worse.

Roe gave her arm a tiny nudge and she followed him up towards Winters. Walking by Strayer and Nixon, they soon ended up back by Winters foxhole, where he picked up his shaving kit once more and started his morning routine, all over again.

"Doc?" Winters asked.

"Can I scrounge a bandage from your aid kit, sir?" The medic asked.

"How are you fixed?"

Roe sighed;

"no plasma, couple of bandages. Practically no morphine".

Winters handed the medic his bandages.

While Roe continued to say;

"in fact, I tried to find my way up to 3rd Battalion looking for supplies, but I lost my way".

"If you can't get over to 3rd, hook up with doc Ryan, he'll fix you up with what he has to spare". Winters informed the medic, who looked hopeful.

"Thanks, Captain".

While the medic was about to walk away, Winters said to him;

"Eugene…get everything you can, you're 'gonna need it".

Charlotte sighed quietly and slowly sat on the edge of the Captain's foxhole.

While smearing more soap onto his face, he asked her;

"what is it?"

She shrugged;

"how come you're shaving?"

"Why wouldn't I? Officers have to shave".

"That's such a backwards rule, eh?"

Winters snorted, "did you come all this way, just to make fun of me, trooper?"

Charlotte shook her head while pressing a finger against Winters helmet, which was freezing to touch;

"nah…Bill's pissing needles and wanted me to get doc for him". She mumbled, "and now I'm thinking about those gaps Captain Nixon was worried about".

"Worried?" Winters raised an eyebrow, "Nixon isn't worried, Lottie. He more or less, wants the gaps to close – like we all do".

"How're we 'gonna do that, sir?"

"Contact patrols". Winters replied, "we'll need to send them out daily. We have a lot of ground to cover".

Licking her bottom lip, she soon told him quietly;

"we lost Raymond".

Winters frowned and stopped shaving;

"Private Watson" He then sighed, "did you get his tags, trooper?"

Nodding, Charlotte reached into her pocket and brought out Watson's dog tags;

"sir? I reckon I'll write to his mum. Can I do that?"

Frowning still, Winters nodded;

"of course, Lottie. You don't have to ask me".

"Sir?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"do you think your mum got my letter?"

Winters smiled a little;

"she might do next week, trooper. She'll be happy you wrote back".

"I told her things…in the letter". Charlotte mumbled, "like…'bout losing my friends and how sad I was and stuff…and I told her that everyone smells badly out in combat". She added more lightly, earning herself a tiny chuckle from the Captain. Charlotte felt herself smile a little.

"Alright, Lottie – get back to your foxhole". He told her, "I'll see you soon".

Nodding, Charlotte got onto her feet and stretched her arms above her head;

"see you then, sir".

**…**

Rubbing her eyes, to get rid of that horrible heavy feeling, Charlotte walked towards the line. But just as she was about to head towards the front, she spotted Jackson and Davis sleeping soundly in a foxhole, behind the mainline. They were sacking out, getting some much-needed sleep, while Toye and Kiehn kept watch on the outposts.

It looked inviting; Charlotte wanted to join the pair of them.

Yawning into her arm, she walked past her sleeping friends and headed for the main line of resistance. Crouching a little, she walked up towards their Platoon's CP and quickly jumped down, taking cover from the enemy across the field.

Guarnere gave her a nod;

"what the doc say, Lottie?"

"Exactly what I said". She mumbled, "drink more, piss it out".

He sighed;

"great".

"Any news, goofy?" Buck asked her.

She frowned;

"aye…1st Battalion pulled out".

"Shit". Guarnere hissed, "more ground for us to cover, huh?"

Buck sighed;

"sounds like it – anything else, goofy?"

Charlotte shook her head, "Winters wants to do more contact patrols to fill the gaps but that's about it, eh? Not much else to do but hold the line".

She then added;

"I saw the General himself, actually".

Guarnere raised an eyebrow;

"yeah? What he'd say".

"there's a lot of shit headed this way". Charlotte said, in her best American accent. Only, her best American accent was the worst thing her friends had ever heard.

Buck shook his head;

"don't do that again, goofy".

Her face dropped, "couldn't have been that bad-"

"it was fucking terrible". Guarnere said, with a tiny smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte carefully climbed out of the foxhole;

"see you's around". She whispered.

Crouching, Charlotte moved back from the mainline and got into her foxhole. Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she shivered, while a yawn left her mouth. Blinking back the sudden moisture in her eyes, she gave her head a shake and sniffed. Charlotte leaned back against the solid mud and felt a tiny headache coming on. Closing her eyes, she figured the white snow was making her feel unwell. Charlotte only hoped she wasn't getting sick. She couldn't leave the line, they had already lost Watson and 1st Battalion had just pulled out, they were desperately low on men to cover the ground – Charlotte leaving because of an illness, wouldn't have been ideal.

Pulling the blanket around herself, she brought her helmet down to cover her eyes.

Somehow, Charlotte managed to sleep.

Though, it wasn't for very long.

After only sleeping for around forty minutes, the Germans decided to shell them.

Charlotte woke up sharply, almost having a heart attack.

Hands covering her helmet, she ducked further into her foxhole, while the earth around her shattered and shook. With the shock of it all, Charlotte almost forgot how to breathe. She couldn't hear anything, let alone herself think. Sleeping during the day wasn't the best idea.

Trees burst, sending splinters and sharp pieces of wood showering over the men. Shell after shell dropped on the ground, creating ditches where they exploded. Men fell, screamed for medics, from all around the forest.

Charlotte remained glued to the mud during the shelling.

And when it stopped, it took her a few minutes to lift her face from the earth.

Pushing her helmet up, Charlotte sat up and leaned against the side of the foxhole.

Looking up, she spotted Roe, who looked down at her;

"Gallagher, you good?"

Nodding, Charlotte gave him the thumbs up.

The medic left, he had to check on the rest of the men.

Hands pressing against the mud, she pushed herself up onto her feet.

Her knees trembled and smacked against one another as she climbed out of the foxhole and sat on the edge for a few moments, before fulling getting onto her feet. Her headache had gone up to a ten, thanks to that shelling. Running a hand down her face, she wondered aimlessly, passing by each foxhole.

Penkala got hit on the wrist but he was going to be fine.

That was the only injury they suffered during the shelling.

And that's when she spotted Toye, wondering towards her with no boots on.

She frowned;

"Joe…what the fuck?"

He sighed;

"they got blasted away". He muttered, "you good?"

Nodding, she continued to frown at his socked feet;

"man, you've 'gotta tell doc, eh? He'll find you a pair in town".

"Yeah, when I get the chance". He mumbled, "kid? You're looking pale".

Blinking a few times, Charlotte looked up at him;

"I'm fine, Joe". She said, "just tired".

"Sack out for a bit, alright? I'll call you when I need you".

"Where's Will?" She asked, noticing Corporal Kiehn wasn't next to him.

"Still on OP". Toye told her, "someone's 'gotta watch the line, Lottie".

Giving him a tiny smile, Charlotte nodded;

"I'll get back to sleep again then, man".

Toye gave her a tiny smile back;

"you do that, kid – we'll try and keep the noise down, huh?"

Snorting softly, Charlotte nodded and turned around, heading back to her foxhole.

Where she hoped to finally get some sleep.

**…**

For one blissful hour, Charlotte slept deeply.

Until she felt too uncomfortable and woke up.

Opening her eyes, she could see the tip of her helmet.

Sighing, she pushed her helmet up and was met by the same white snow and fog, she had left behind while sleeping. Clumsily, her hand rubbed her heavy eyes. And soon, she was met with a sharp and horrible pain in her head. Letting out a tiny groan, Charlotte rubbed her eyes again, hoping to wipe the pain away. But it was still there – still bugging her.

Next, she felt another source of discomfort, coming from her stomach.

It twisted with horrible nausea; Charlotte had never felt so sick in her life.

Pulling a face, her shaky hands soon pressed down against the mud, while she tried to push herself up. Charlotte wasn't sure why she felt so rotten. And, once on her feet, she lay her arms out of the foxhole, while the side of her head leaned against the edge. She didn't want to move, frightened she'd spew her guts up, or collapse in a heap on the frozen ground.

It was clear that Charlotte was "under the weather".

And feeling sick, or ill out on the line, was horrible. Charlotte had been lucky in avoiding each illness, which seemed to go from man to man while on the line. She stayed clear of the flu, cold and other nasty viruses. But whatever she had now, was kicking her ass.

At that moment, all she wanted was her old bedroom and her dad.

Closing her eyes, she could feel tears burn behind them.

Charlotte knew feeling sorry for yourself was never a good thing out in combat, but she couldn't help it, she felt horrible and she wanted a warm bed and her dad's comforting presence. The sadder she felt, the worse her stomach felt. Letting out a tiny and miserable whimper, Charlotte began to retch. But nothing came out. Her stomach hurt and her throat was on fire. But she had no control and couldn't seem to stop the string of retching.

"Wow – hey!"

Came the slightly alarmed voice of Guarnere.

He jumped into the foxhole and placed a hand on her back;

"take is easy, Lottie…you're getting all juiced up".

Her muscles tensed and cramped, while her body tried to get rid of nothing.

Charlotte had nothing in her stomach.

Not even a drop of water.

Guarnere took off her helmet with one hand, while the other rubbed and patted her back;

"Lottie? What's going on? Are you sick?"

Charlotte did feel a little embarrassed because she had drawn a considerable amount of attention her way. And when the retching stopped, she sunk back down into her foxhole and leaned against the side. Guarnere crouched in front of her and placed a hand on her forehead;

"you ain't burning up…what's going on, Lottie? You scared or something?"

Licking her dry and chapped lips, she shook her head;

"thirsty".

Guarnere huffed;

"you could have told me, Lottie". He said, "you need water? I've got water – here".

Taking the canteen, Charlotte took a few sips.

Guarnere shook his head;

"stupid, mick".

Letting out a sigh, Charlotte handed the canteen back to him;

"cheers". She croaked.

Shaking his head, Guarnere leaned forwards and wiped the tear from her cheek;

"I'll fill your canteen with some of my water". He murmured, "me and Babe will get some water from the stream in a few".

Charlotte looked at him and asked;

"think it'll happen again?"

"What?" Guarnere asked, as he poured half of his water into her canteen.

"Like – think I'll get sick again?"

He shrugged, "not sure, Lottie…you feeling good now?"

"Aye, fine". Charlotte told him, "nothing came up, eh?"

"Yeah – that's 'cause we ain't been fed in twenty-four hours". He muttered, "fucking army".

Once her canteen was half full, Guarnere placed it into her hands;

"drink that down, alright? I'll get more water". He told her, "and don't fucking move".

Giving him a tiny smile, she nodded;

"cheers, Bill".

Before he left, Guarnere wrapped the blanket around her;

"stay warm, you ass".

Charlotte snorted;

"love you, prick".

"Yeah – you too, you asshole". Giving her a friendly wink, Guarnere soon left the foxhole.

Sighing softly, Charlotte took another sip of water.

Placing her canteen to the side of her, she closed her eyes.

And once again, tried to find sleep.


	35. Chapter 34

Charlotte didn't get sick again and blamed getting sick on lack of fluids and stress.

With her canteen well and truly full, she drank whenever she got the time and was starting to feel a little better. Though, Toye kept her off outpost duty that night, giving her time to rest and recover. He was a good Sargent. But by the next day, the Germans didn't seem to care that Charlotte was resting, for they opened up and shelled them that morning.

Skinny Sisk took a bad hit on the leg and had to be rushed back into town. Shards of wood cut into his leg, creating large gashes in his flesh. It was a messy sight; one which Charlotte didn't see from her position on the line, but she did hear the cries for a medic.

Getting out from her foxhole, Charlotte walked down the line and saw Heffron and Davis, both sitting on the edge of their foxhole. Heading over to them, she stuffed her hands into her pockets and took a seat next to Davis, with a tiny smile;

"What's happening?" She asked, "you lads alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine". Heffron replied, "who got hit?"

"Skinny". She replied, "a tree burst behind him".

Davis winced;

"ouch…".

"Aye". Charlotte mumbled, "the wounded are being placed in a church back at town. But they can't be evacuated yet…cause we're fucking surrounded".

Heffron pulled a face;

"wait, what?"

She nodded;

"aye…we're surrounded. We're stuck in the middle, surrounded by Jerry's".

"Jesus". Davis whispered.

"I know". She mumbled, "however, life goes on, eh? We're used to this by now".

Charlotte then added;

"Besides, Joe needs new boots. That's more important".

Heffron huffed;

"where the hell are we 'gonna find boots?"

"Doc will sort it out". Davis pointed out, "they do a lot for us".

"Aye, they do". Charlotte agreed, "I don't think they actually sleep".

Heffron looked over to his right, where 1st Platoon was stationed;

"they're off hunting Krauts". He said, "recon patrol".

"Nice". Charlotte mused, "Winters said he'd be sending out more patrols".

Davis looked up towards the sky;

"fogs thicker than yesterday". He said, "let's hope they don't get lost".

Charlotte gave Davis's arm a nudge;

"here, you been writing out letters?"

Frowning, he faced her;

"what's the point? Mom won't get anything yet".

Charlotte shrugged, "aye, but once we get to send them out again, you'll be ready".

"Why do you care?"

"Cause your mum's sound as fuck". Charlotte told him, "don't ignore her, man".

Davis pulled a slightly amused face;

"I'll let her know you like her".

Smiling small, she nodded, "good".

He then cleared his throat;

"actually, last letter I wrote to her was before we left camp". He said, "so, she's probably got that letter now, right?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, and her letters probably still on that plane, man".

Suddenly, Heffron got onto his feet;

"sir?!" He called out.

Frowning, Charlotte and Davis both turned around, only to see Peacock running towards Battalion HQ.

"Sir!" Heffron yelled again, taking a step forward, "sir – what's going on?!"

The Lieutenant, who was meant to be leading the patrol, stopped and looked over at the three curious paratroopers. Panting slightly, he told them;

"we've run into a lot of Krauts!" He exclaimed, "Private Julian got hit – we can't get to him!"

Charlotte's head sharply looked up at Heffron.

Julian and Heffron went to jump school together, they were very close. And she watched, while Heffron crouched down and grabbed his rifle. Sighing, Charlotte and Davis got onto their feet;

"well, we can't exactly let you go alone". Davis said.

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, let's go get your pal, Babe".

**…**

Diving behind a pile of logs, the three of them took cover.

Bull and Martin looked over at the three of them;

"what the hell are you doing here?!" Martin asked his drinking buddy.

Charlotte nodded towards Julian, who was lying in the middle of the road, blood pouring out from his neck. Heffron, who was on his stomach, tried to reach out for him but a machine-gun pelted its bullets towards him. Davis grabbed Heffron and pulled him back.

"We 'gotta make a move!" Bull yelled.

It was chaotic.

1st Platoon had obviously hit the German line.

"I can get him, Sarge!" Heffron yelled.

Charlotte, giving Martin a nod, peaked around the logs and tried to find a target through the fog.

"Suppressing fire!" Martin ordered.

She fired out along with the others close to her.

But finding a target was next to impossible. All Charlotte could see, were sparks of life coming from the German weapons. She couldn't see the enemy, not even a shadow or figure. The fog was too damn thick, and the bullets were raining down on them.

Charlotte turned back to cover and tapped Martin's arm;

"where did everyone go, Johnny?!"

Martin shook his head;

"we lost contact!"

She could hear the bullets slam into the logs, creating holes and dents.

Charlotte then looked over at Heffron, who wasn't having any luck;

"don't move!" He screamed to his friend, "stop moving or they'll keep shooting!"

Her eyes landed back on Martin;

"what're we 'gonna do, Johnny?!"

Martin was torn.

He had one man down and others in danger of suffering the same fate. He knew they couldn't get to Julian, not at that moment, anyway. The Germans were attacking straight down the middle, preventing anyone from reaching Julian. And his eyes moved from Julian to Heffron and then back to Charlotte.

Frowning, she placed a hand on his shoulder;

"it's not your fault, man!" Charlotte told him, "whatever you do, alright?!"

Eyes heavy with guilt and grief, Martin placed a hand on her shoulder;

"okay, Lottie! Get Heffron – we've 'gotta go!"

Nodding, she gave his shoulder a squeeze;

"good idea, Johnny!"

Letting go of his shoulder, she got on her stomach and crawled over to Heffron, who was still yelling at Julian to;

"stop moving!"

Just as she was about to get Heffron's attention, Lieutenant Foley soon moved up towards them;

"pull back!" He ordered them, "we've 'gotta pull back!"

"Let's get out of here!" Bull second that.

Charlotte grabbed Heffron's arm;

"you hear that, Babe?!" She said, "we need to be going-"

"come on, stay with us!" Heffron screamed at Julian, "STAY WITH US!"

Julian reached a hand towards Heffron, while his eyes stared at his friend.

Heffron stretched, trying his hardest to grab his friend's hand.

But he couldn't reach.

"Babe!" Charlotte yelled, "come on, man!"

"Lottie – fuck off!" Heffron raged, "I ain't fucking leaving him-"

"I know, man!" She said, "I fucking get it, alright?! But I can't fucking lose you!"

"Heffron, move!" Martin ordered.

Heffron looked conflicted.

Staring at Charlotte for a few moments, he soon faced Julian;

"don't move, Julian! We're coming back!" He promised, "we'll get you out of here! Just hold on!"

Crawling backwards, Heffron got onto his feet.

Once her friend was standing and running back, Charlotte fell in behind them. Davis was running a few feet in front of her, they were slightly spread out, with Charlotte more to the right and Davis to the left. Behind them, the Germans continued to fire at them. The MG-42 cut the fog sharply, with its harsh bullets, which slammed into trees and the snow.

Charlotte looked down, just for a few seconds.

And when she looked back up again, Davis wasn't running in front of her.

Instead, he was lying on the ground, bullet holes in his back.

Getting down, Charlotte grabbed Davis from under the armpits and dragged him through the snow. She couldn't lift Davis; he was too tall, and Charlotte was small. Dragging him seemed to be her only option.

Davis let out a tiny groan.

Charlotte looked at him;

"it's okay, Fred!" She told him, "you're fine, eh?!"

Behind her, she could hear the men.

They were yelling, setting up their machine-guns and firing down the road, avoiding Charlotte. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Roe, who was tending to another wounded man. Just as she was about to call out for his help, Davis suddenly got a lot heavier in her arms. Looking back at him, she noticed his eyes were closed and his head dropped to the side.

Feeling her bottom lip quiver, Charlotte stopped dragging her friend and gently placed him on the snow. Getting down on her knees, she grabbed Davis's dog tags and placed them in her pocket. She could briefly hear Nixon's voice, who had come from HQ to see what was going on. Heffron was still determined to get Julian, while Nixon ordered Martin to get everyone back to the line.

"Lottie, move!" Nixon soon ordered her.

Snapping out of her own head, Charlotte got onto her feet.

It was a devastating outcome.

They had lost Julian and Davis and one man was wounded.

But, on top of all that, Peacock had left the patrol. For whatever reason, the Lieutenant ran back to HQ, abandoning his men, who were trapped under German bullets. Charlotte felt horrible for 1st Platoon and she felt devastated for Heffron, who had just lost his best friend. The men fell silent that night, while 1st Platoon gathered around their foxholes, trying to make sense of it all. Buck, Guarnere, Toye and the rest of 2nd Platoon were informed of their loss. Naturally, Toye was gutted that he had lost a man from his squad – a great man, who's mum meant the world to him.

Charlotte found Heffron sitting on the edge of his foxhole, coughing into his arm.

Feeling her heart shatter, she sat down next to hm.

His coughing fit ended with a quiet sniff.

Charlotte bobbed her head, while her arm went around his waist;

"it's shit, man – I fucking know it". She whispered.

Heffron hid his face in her helmet, while a few tears leaked out from his eyes.

Charlotte could tell he was crying; she could feel his body shake.

He sniffed again;

"it's fucking wrong, Lottie". He choked out, "we…we made a promise, you know? That if anything happened to us, then we'd make sure our stuff got back to our mothers".

Closing her eyes, Charlotte's hold tightened around him;

"man…you couldn't – you fucking tired, you know?" She mumbled softly, "and it's fucking shit, but you tried your best, alright?"

After that, Charlotte held onto him, while Heffron cried quietly into her helmet. He was angry and struck down with grief. Charlotte didn't see the harm in crying, others out on the line might have but she wasn't afraid of tears. The way she saw it, the sooner someone dealt with grief or a bad situation, then the better that person would cope. Charlotte knew Heffron would be okay eventually. But in that moment, it was okay for him, not to be okay.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a tissue and handed it to Heffron;

"why don't you see Spina?" She suggested, "you's are good pals, eh?"

Heffron wiped his face before throwing the tissue away.

Clearing his throat, he nodded;

"yeah…he's a cool guy".

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"course he is, man…Ralph's from Philly, like you and Bill".

Tears gone from his face, Heffron asked her;

"what about you, Lottie? Where you going?"

Charlotte shrugged, "don't worry about me, man. I'll get on OP for a bit. You just get some rest, eh?"

With Heffron walking away to find Ralph, Charlotte made the short walk to their Platoon CP. Jumping inside, she got in between Buck and Guarnere, where the Sargent soon pulled up a blanket to cover the three of them. Charlotte looked over at the telephone, which was hooked up to both outposts. Rubbing the bottom of her nose, she leaned into Guarnere, who wrapped an arm around her.

After a few minutes without saying a word, Charlotte said;

"why the fuck did I quit smoking?"

Guarnere huffed out a tiny laugh;

"cause you're crazy, Lottie".

Choking out a little laugh, which sounded more like a sob, Charlotte buried her face into Guarnere's side, just below his ribs. Closing her eyes, she muffled into his jacket;

"this is fucked up, man".

Nodding slowly, Guarnere rested his head against the top of her helmet.

"Yeah". He agreed quietly, "it's pretty fucked up, Lottie".

"I feel like shit, Babe lost his pal – it's not fucking right".

Looking over at Guarnere, Buck frowned;

"it's war, goofy". Their Lieutenant said quietly, "it ain't meant to be right".

"What the fuck are we doing, man?" She mumbled thickly, "we're in a forest, always freezing and that and the Jerry's are just pure nippy".

Guarnere didn't know whether to tell her off for being such a baby or offer her comfort. So, he decided to offer her both;

"you're right, Lottie – the Krauts are fucking annoying". He agreed, "but you crying about it, ain't 'gonna make them any less annoying. So, we've 'gotta hold this fucking line, keep on fighting and shut those looney's up".

Charlotte went quiet for a few moments.

She sniffed and said;

"fuck you…I'm not even crying".

Guarnere's lips twitched;

"whatever…you fucking baby".

He held her tighter in his hold;

"get some sleep, huh?"

Sometimes, Charlotte didn't know how she would have survived without Guarnere kicking her up the arse and getting her moving again. She could always rely on him for everything. And he relied on her.

Charlotte wasn't embarrassed to admit to herself, that she often needed Guarnere.

**…**

The next day, Buck ordered Charlotte to find Dike.

It was an impossible task, to find their Company Commander, no one actually knew where that man got off to and they hadn't seen Dike in a few days. Not even after the patrol, where they lost Julian and Davis. Charlotte was beginning to wonder if the Lieutenant actually cared about them. And that thought saddened her because it wasn't fair on Easy, who deserved someone great to lead them. They deserved another Winters.

"When I was back in Bastogne after Strayer's briefing this morning".

Charlotte looked up and saw Nixon sitting next to Winters, on the edge of a foxhole.

Nixon continued to tell him;

"Sink told me our artillery is critically low on ammo".

"I know". Winters replied, "yesterday, I helped site a piece that had only three rounds. They were told to use them only for antitank fire. Some of our mortars are down to six rounds and most men have only one bandolier of ammo. This keeps up, we can challenge the Germans to a Christmas Day snowball fight. That's all we have".

Feeling her lips twitch slightly, Charlotte stepped into view;

"not a bad idea, sir".

Looking towards her, Winters smiled;

"I think we've got a good chance of winning".

Charlotte nodded;

"oh, aye. Put our baseball team on the front, we'll crush them, sir".

Smiling still, Winters asked;

"what brings you here, Lottie?"

The smile slowly left her face.

Charlotte walked over to the pair of them;

"eh…Buck wants me to find Lieutenant Dike".

Nixon huffed;

"good luck".

Sending Nixon, a tiny glare, Winters soon faced Charlotte again;

"I'm sure he's up at Division". He said to her, "he should be back shortly".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte sat herself down opposite the two officers.

Her legs dangled over the foxhole, boots kicking into the frozen mud.

"I don't 'wanna sound like a kid or that, sir".

Winters felt his eyebrows twitch.

She sighed;

"but like…does he even like us?"

Frowning a little, Nixon looked over at Winters.

Who seemed a little lost for words.

Charlotte said;

"I mean…aye – I don't feel like he likes us, sir". She stated, "just pure and simple, eh? If you like someone, then you're 'gonna want to be around them at that but he's never here, eh? I was just wondering why that was…did we do something?"

"No". Winters quickly answered, "no – no one did anything, Lottie. You're all doing a great job, okay?"

Biting her bottom lip, she looked up at Winters, expecting an answer.

The Captain cleared his throat;

"you see…Lieutenant Dike is a – he's a busy man".

Nixon almost snorted.

"But – ah – he knows what he's doing, Lottie". Winters added, resisting the urge to glare at Nixon again, "I wouldn't worry about Lieutenant Dike".

Charlotte looked over at Nixon and then back at Winters.

She knew it was an awkward subject to talk about.

So, Charlotte quickly changed the topic.

To something more miserable.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out Davis's tags;

"eh…I think I'll write to his mum later". She whispered, "it was just the two of them, eh? Fred didn't have any other family".

Clearing her throat, she handed them to the Captain;

"sorry…just didn't 'wanna let them go".

Frowning, Winters shook his head;

"don't apologise, Lottie".

Rubbing the back of her neck, she said;

"eh – anyway-"

"how is everyone?" Winters asked her, "since yesterday".

Charlotte shrugged;

"alright, sir". She mumbled softly, "Babe was – well, Julian was his pal, eh? He's still got that cough".

"Has doc seen him?"

She nodded, "aye…not much doc can do though, sir. Babe just needs some rest and medicine, but the lad refuses to leave the line for a wee rest".

Winters couldn't help that tiny smile reach his lips.

The men were so dedicated to their Company.

"How about you?" He then asked, "Bill tells me you weren't well a couple days back".

Charlotte sighed;

"I was an idiot, sir". She said, "didn't drink nothing for days".

Winters sighed, "Lottie…".

"Aye, I know". Charlotte said, "I was a numpty but the last thing I was thinking about was water, eh? Was more worried about them shells".

"You're feeling better now?"

"Aye, I mean – I'm still a bit tired and that but everyone is. And my head still hurts; reckon I'm getting the cold or something".

Winters frowned;

"I hope not, trooper". He said, "wouldn't be any good if you got sick out here".

Looking up, she was met with large flakes of snow and thick fog.

Charlotte huffed and lowered her head;

"don't suppose it would, eh?"

"You've 'gotta be used to this, kiddo". Nixon commented, "it must have been freezing in Scotland".

Charlotte shrugged;

"sometimes, sir". She admitted, "but…I wasn't out in my summer clothes building snowmen, eh?"

Nixon chuckled;

"touché".

Her lips twitched;

"well…one time when it snowed, I was in bed with this virus, was proper sick, eh? And my two brothers were outside, having a fucking ball – like, they were loving life that day, smiling and laughing. Even dad was outside throwing snowballs at them. Mum wasn't, she hated the stuff. Always said it messed up her hair, so, she wouldn't have let me out anyway". Shaking her head, her smile widened, "my brothers must have felt sorry for poor old me, lying in bed with nothing but the walls to stare at…so, they build me a friend – a snowman".

A soft smile spread across Winters face.

And Charlotte continued to smile at the memory;

"they made him proper tall, eh? They spent hours outside crafting this snowman and they were proper proud of him – they deserved to be proud…that snowman was magic. Anyway – well, Stewart wanted to dress the bugger up, so, John goes inside and grabs mum's clothes, knowing it would drive her up the wall – and it did".

Nixon chuckled;

"I'll bet".

Charlotte grinned;

"so, I looked out my window from my bed and saw this snowman…dressed in a fur coat, a brown furry scarf and one of my mum's evening dresses – top off, with her hat, a pair of earrings and a carrot for a nose…cause, what's a snowman without a carrot, eh?"

The two officers smiled along with her.

Licking her lips together, she leaned forwards;

"but that wasn't the best part". Charlotte whispered, "best part was when it got dark…I was in bed, Stewart came in to see me and he told me this story. Mind you, I was proper young, eh? And believed anything that looney told me".

"What'd he tell you?" Winters asked.

"He says to me…that snowman out there, he isn't like the other snowmen. At night, he lights up and comes to life". Charlotte snorted, "when he told me that, I was proper bricking it – thinking this snowman was 'gonna try and kidnap me in my sleep…but Stewart said to me, don't worry, Charlotte…he'll never hurt you, cause we made him. He just wants to watch over you and keep you safe at night".

Charlotte's smile turned into a frown;

"I looked back out the window and my eyes went wide…like I had just seen a ghost. The snowman was glowing – like, he was lighting up, like a Christmas tree. Just like magic, eh? I was scared at first, eh? But Stewart – he took my hand and told me not to worry, the magic snowman is 'gonna give me everything I've ever wanted".

Her lips twitched again;

"so, I thought really hard for something I wanted – right at that moment. And I wished and hoped it would come true…but suddenly, the snowman's carrot fell off and his hat slid to the side. He was melting. Stewart ran to the window, opened it and yelled at John. He had lit these candles below the snowman, to make him glow and he put a few inside the snow – well, the flames melted the snow, obviously".

Charlotte grinned;

"Stewart and John were proper apologetic, eh? But I was like, no…no, it's fine. My wish came true. That creepy fucking snowman melted".

Nixon and Winters both laughed, while Charlotte chuckled quietly.

She then added;

"you know, Buck and Bill fell asleep when I first told that story".

Grinning, Nixon gave her helmet a gentle tap;

"well, they missed one hell of a story, kiddo".


	36. Chapter 35

Opening her eyes, the next morning, a bright line of light almost blinded her.

Closing her eyes again, she pulled a face;

"the fuck is that?" She muttered to herself.

But Jackson responded;

"that would be the sun".

Charlotte stilled for a moment.

Until she eventually said;

"nah, you're lying, eh? The sun doesn't come out here, man".

Jackson chuckled;

"see for yourself, Lottie…suns up and the sky is blue".

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

And sure enough, she could spy a crack of blue sky, between the thick fir trees.

A tiny smile reached her lips.

It wasn't snowing, the fog had lifted. Which could only mean one thing;

"it's our planes!" Someone up ahead exclaimed happily. "We're getting supplies!"

The warm welcome they got from their own planes, wasn't very welcoming at all. The men inside the planes must have confused them for the enemy, as they began to shoot at the men from Easy, who quickly dove for cover. After a few moments of confusion, a burst of hope filled the miserable forest, at the thought of getting rations, ammo, warm clothes and more blankets. Soon, the men were racing around the forest, trying to gather all the supplies which had dropped.

Charlotte tried to enjoy the moment as best she could. But she had woken up with aching limbs and a banging headache; clearly, she was getting sick. Still, jobs needed to be done and Charlotte soon found herself in the back of a jeep, with Lipton and a squad. They were heading into town, hoping to grab the supplies which had landed in Bastogne. Like the men, all Charlotte needed was more ammo and if they were lucky, food and winter clothes.

Stopping outside of the church, the men jumped off the jeep.

Charlotte was soon handed an empty box by the 1st Sargent.

"Lottie, you help the doc". Lipton told her, "the rest of you, come with me".

With her empty box, she followed Roe inside of the church. They walked down a set of stairs and walked by a lot of injured men, most were still waiting to be evacuated. Swallowing back the sudden swell of nausea, Charlotte kept her eyes focused on her boots.

The pair of them entered a large storage room, where one of the medics began putting medical supplies into their boxes, filling them up pretty quickly. Charlotte didn't know half the stuff inside her box, but Roe looked a little more relieved, so, she figured it was all needed.

Soon enough, Roe's attention landed on something else.

Or rather, someone else.

Standing on the balls of her feet, Charlotte stretched up to look out of the window.

There, she could see a young nurse, comforting a wounded soldier.

She was very pretty; Charlotte could see why Roe was staring at her.

Without saying a word, Roe headed for the door.

Quickly, Charlotte followed behind him.

"MEDIC!" Someone yelled, "HELP!"

The nurse took charge and had the men take the wounded man into another room. Roe followed them into that room, taking another entrance. And, not knowing what else to do, Charlotte followed after him. She had no idea what she was walking into but as soon as she saw all the blood, Charlotte felt a little sick.

But what made her almost gag, was when Roe shoved his hand up the man's stomach, to try and stop the wounded soldier from bleeding out. Eyes widening, her back pressed against the door, which then bashed into a table on the other side. Roe and the nurse didn't seem to hear the crash, they were too busy, trying to save this man's life. Charlotte had never seen anything like it before. She had seen plenty of legs being blown off, men bleeding a lot, but she had never seen one man, bleed so much, in all her life. It spluttered up, shooting like a fountain.

"The artery". She could hear Roe say, "'gotta find the artery".

"Anna!" The nurse yelled, "Anna!"

Moments later, another nurse entered the room, to offer help.

If Charlotte knew what she was doing, she would have offered to help. But Charlotte wasn't a nurse or a medic – she wouldn't have had a clue if she tried to help. So, keeping herself quiet and invisible, she waited. And they did try and save the soldiers life, but they couldn't.

And they looked devastated.

Roe let out a frustrated groan and threw a towel down on the ground.

Frowning, Charlotte rubbed her lips together and carefully took a step towards their medic. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes, he just looked so worn out. But Roe was staring at the nurse, who looked close to tears.

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte said;

"should probably have a smoke, eh?"

Once outside, Charlotte dumped the box of supplies by Roe and went off to search for more supplies close by. The medic and the nurse were sitting down, catching their breath after their ordeal back in the church. Charlotte decided to do her own thing, leaving them to talk.

Searching by a pile of rubble, Charlotte moved wood and chairs out of the way.

She didn't expect to find much, Charlotte was searching through broken furniture after all, but she was only trying to keep herself busy, just until Lipton got everyone back on the line. Or, until the nurse and Roe finished their talk.

After only three minutes of shifting chairs and heavy wood, Charlotte ended up sitting down, when her muscles felt too sore to continue. Running a hand down her face, that same nausea from a few days ago seemed to creep back. Frowning, she placed a hand on her forehead, while her elbow rested on her knee. Charlotte wondered if she was in for something like a cold, or perhaps something more sinister. She hoped for the cold.

But even if it was something bad, Charlotte couldn't do anything about it.

She wouldn't leave the line, they didn't have any medicine and Charlotte knew, she'd just need to suffer with it, rather than get better quickly. Looking towards the medic, she noticed the nurse was gone. Getting up, Charlotte walked over to Roe.

"Alright, doc?" She asked, while sitting herself down.

Roe was watching the nurse, who was rushing to help another wounded soldier.

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"Eugene?"

Blinking a few times, the medic looked down at her;

"Gallagher?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"was asking if you were alright".

However, Roe never answered.

Instead, he noticed her shiny forehead and glassy eyes.

"Feeling alright, petit?"

Charlotte decided on a half lie;

"feel a wee bit queasy after being in there". She replied, nodding towards the church.

Roe nodded slowly;

"that all?"

"Aye – that's all, man".

Soon, they were back on the jeep, travelling to the line.

Charlotte had the box of supplies on her lap and a heavy feeling in her gut.

That queasy feeling had escalated into full-on nausea – serious nausea, like last time. She had to keep her eyes focused on one place, while she willed herself not to vomit inside the jeep. And they were getting so close to the line, Charlotte could see their forest in the distance. But her stomach couldn't handle the bumpy roads anymore.

Panicking slightly, she lifted the box;

"Lip?" She asked, almost desperately.

The 1st Sargent looked back at her, slightly confused and alarmed;

"yeah?"

Charlotte could feel her throat tighten;

"can you – take this, please?"

"Okay…". Lipton said, slowly, while taking the box.

Turning around, Charlotte got onto her knees and leaned over the side of the jeep. Without giving anyone much of a warning, she started to retch. Not much came up, except all the water she had consumed. But the pain was the worst part and the force, which caused tears to roll down her cheeks. She felt utterly miserable and pathetic, throwing up over the side of the jeep.

A hand was placed on her back and that hand rubbed circles up and down her spine. She wasn't sure if he was making it worse or better, either way, she couldn't stop retching. Charlotte leaned over that jeep, puking and continued to do so, even when the jeep stopped, and they reached their line.

Charlotte should have felt embarrassed, but she only felt numb.

It was like she had gotten herself so worked up over it, that she was beyond feeling anything. Which was probably for the best, as whoever was currently at Battalion HQ and who was inside the jeep, witnessed Charlotte getting sick.

Finally, after what felt like hours, her stomach settled.

Leaning heavily over the edge of the jeep, Charlotte's body flopped.

Taking in deep and shuddering breaths threw her mouth, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. Charlotte felt dizzy and close to passing out. And she didn't want to move, in case she did end up fainting.

"Sit down". Roe ordered her calmly, "head between your legs".

Lipton, who had a hold of her, helped Charlotte sit up.

Feeling horrendously dizzy, she quickly placed her head between her knees.

No one talked and they waited until the dizzy spell passed.

Eventually, Charlotte felt confident enough to lift her head.

And when she did, she couldn't look at anyone.

Crouching in front of her, Lipton gave her a smile;

"well, buddy". He said, "that was sure eventful, huh?"

Giving her head a shake, Charlotte quickly wiped the tears from her face;

"fucking hurts". She croaked.

"What does?" Roe asked her, "be honest".

"Head and stomach". Charlotte mumbled, "must be getting a cold or something".

"I don't think so, petit". The medic murmured, "you might be down for the flu".

Charlotte sighed;

"I can't be getting the flu, man". She said quietly, "I have to stay here, eh?"

Reaching into her pocket, she brought out a tissue.

Wiping her face, Charlotte said;

"feel loads better now, anyway".

**…**

Charlotte's symptoms got worse the very next day, which happened to be Christmas Eve. However, just very suddenly, the Germans attacked Easy's front. Infantry supported by half-tracks rolled out of the opposing tree line. Quickly, Easy got ready for the infantry attack. And soon, the quiet forest was met by a loud and chaotic firefight.

In position with Toye and his squad, Charlotte could feel herself burning up with fever. Her whole body ached from muscle cramps and tension and she had to kneel down in the snow, to stop herself from keeling over. Taking in weak and deep breaths, she held up her rifle and fired with the squad. Heffron and Eddie Joint were hammering out machine-gun fire, while Malarkey barked out ranges to his mortar squad. Easy were a running and functional battlefield machine, once again.

The German's tried to break into their line, but Easy pushed them back.

Their bazookas flew into the German tanks, while smaller arms took care of the infantry and snipers. In the end, they had around thirty dead Germans in front of their line. But Easy didn't come away from that battle without a scratch; Smokey Gordon got hit. The bullet went through his shoulder and it must have hit his spine, for the man was paralyzed. Roe didn't know if it was permanent or not. But the war was over for Smokey. And in some ways, they were happy for their friend, at least he didn't have to continue the long and hard fight out in the snow.

To escape this, men would get desperate. An officer shot himself in the foot, just to get out of the forest and back home. Others would break. They'd drop their weapon, take off their helmet and they would be done. Easy was lucky in the sense that not many men broke. Despite the shit hand that they were dealt with, they somehow managed to keep going.

Toye was a great example of a man who wouldn't quit. He was suffering from trench foot, his feet were soft, and his skin was peeling off, but he remained on the line, just to stay with his men. It's one of the reasons why Charlotte couldn't let the illness take over because she had Toye, Guarnere, Buck and all the NCO's, as the perfect example to not give up.

And Charlotte didn't want to let them down.

"Hey, Lottie".

Looking up from her rifle, which she was currently wiping down, Charlotte found herself smiling.

"Alright, Chuck?"

Grant sat down next to her;

"great – yeah". He replied, "not seen you in a while. What's been going on?"

Shrugging, she replied with;

"same old, eh? Some battle this morning".

"Yeah…it was wild, Lottie". Grant agreed, "we got them good".

"We did". She said, "they're mad for trying to get past us".

He smiled, "damn straight".

Grant then looked down at her and found himself frowning;

"listen – uh – we're pals, right?"

Charlotte nodded;

"we are, man".

"Okay, good – so, I'm 'gonna be honest with you".

Eyebrows twitching, she looked up and met his concerned stare.

Grant sighed;

"I'm worried about you, Lottie". He said to her quietly, "I mean…you don't look good, you know? We all look shit but…I just never thought I'd see the day, where I'd be this worried about you".

Her eyes widened a little;

"shit, man". Charlotte said, "I'm sorry – I'll try harder, eh? I'm sorry that-"

"what, no". Grant cut her off, "this ain't about your job, Lottie".

Looking slightly confused, she asked;

"what's it 'bout then?"

"Well…yesterday, you puked in front pretty much all of us". Grant listed.

Charlotte sighed;

"aye…I did, eh?"

"You did". Grant confirmed.

She grimaced, "that was pretty shameful".

He shrugged, "not your fault, pal".

Grant then added;

"listen…when did you last eat?"

Blinking a few times, Charlotte honestly couldn't remember.

Frowning, her hand went to her stomach;

"I don't know, man". She mumbled, "whenever I eat…or think 'bout eating…I get sick".

Grant's frown deepened;

"Lottie, that ain't good".

Charlotte sighed, "I 'dunno why, Chuck. Maybe it's the forest or…maybe I'm not well?"

"You under stress?"

"We all are". She whispered, "but I – I like feel shit". Charlotte admitted, "like, ill, you know? Can stress do that?"

Grant shrugged;

"I don't know, Lottie". He said, "maybe? What you 'wanna do about it?"

"Nothing, man". Charlotte told him, "I can't do nothing…I just have to ride this out, eh? Cause we're all fucking going through it man".

After a few moments of silence, Grant suggested;

"maybe you should start smoking again".

Charlotte nodded slowly;

"have we been resupplied with ciggies?"

"We have". Grant confirmed, "you want a pack?"

"Aye, go for it, man. Cheers".

While smoking a cigarette, Charlotte walked away from her foxhole with Grant. The pair of them walked away from the line and towards the rest of Easy, who were lined up to eat some hot chow. Charlotte didn't think she would manage to stomach a meal but after her talk with Grant and a cigarette, she was willing to try. Besides, it was Christmas. Hot chow was their gift from the brass. And what a gift.

With a serving of navy white beans, Charlotte sighed and left the line.

"Lottie". Winters greeted, with his arms wrapped around himself.

Charlotte looked up at him and felt her lips twitch;

"how's it going, sir? You're looking frozen".

Winters snorted;

"everyday life, huh?"

He then asked;

"why'd you start smoking again?"

Sighing, Charlotte looked down at her beans;

"well". She said, "Chuck said it might help, eh?"

"With what?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"my stress…I 'dunno, sir. I'm not a doctor or horse loving Freud".

He felt a tiny smile reach his lips, though it didn't fully mask his concern.

When a jeep pulled up next to Easy, Charlotte took a step back and saw Colonel Sink jump down from the jeep;

"we're all sitting down to a Christmas Eve dinner of turkey and hooch back at the Division CP. Dammed if I don't like old Joe Domingus's rancid-ass beans better". Sink said, for the men who could hear him. "Hello, Easy Company!" He greeted.

The men greeted the Colonel back, who soon walked over to Winters to shake the man's hand. Charlotte didn't catch their quiet conversation, but Winters did take a step back, giving Sink the platform. Soon, the men of Easy formed a small circle to hear what the Colonel had to say;

"Men…General McAuliffe wishes us all a Merry Christmas. What's merry about all this, you ask? Just this; we've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west. Now, two days ago the German Commander demanded our honourable surrender to save the USA encircled troops from total annihilation. The German Commander received the following reply; To the German Commander, nuts!"

Charlotte felt a tiny smile reach her lips.

While a few of the men laughed.

Sink continued;

"we're giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present, and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms; we're truly making ourselves a Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all and God Bless you".

**…**

Sitting on the outpost, Charlotte decided to take watch and let her friends have the night off. She was alone, while staring across the quiet and darkened field. It was extremely cold that night, she had two blankets wrapped around her, but it didn't give her much warmth. Charlotte almost couldn't believe that it was Christmas already. If no one told her, she wouldn't have known.

They didn't exchange gifts or sit around a fireplace with a drink.

Instead, they sat in their foxholes, talked about home and tried to keep warm.

Charlotte wasn't alone, not really.

Across the field, hidden behind their line, were the Germans, who were singing Silent Night.

Leaning back, she listened and enjoyed their version of the song.

But she suddenly jumped, upon hearing footsteps behind her.

Turning around, she spotted Lipton.

The 1st Sargent smiled and sat down beside her;

"didn't mean to scare you".

Huffing softly, Charlotte shook her head;

"you hear them, Lip?"

She nodded towards the Germans;

"you ever heard of the story?"

Lipton shook his head, "what story, Lottie?"

"Around this time, in 1914 on Christmas Eve, men from the British Expeditionary Force heard the Jerry's in the opposite trenches singing. And they saw lanterns being hung up on the small fir trees along the trenches. Messages were shouted between the Germans and Brits. Dad told me that on Christmas day, the Brits and the Germans met in the middle of no-mans-land and exchanged gifts, took photos together and even played a game of football".

Lipton huffed out a laugh;

"really?"

Charlotte nodded, with a fond smile;

"aye, it really happened". She said, "dad was there…it was a truce. Just for that day, eh? They buried the dead together, repaired trenches and dugouts. After Boxing Day, it was back to fighting each other again. Like that day never happened".

Lipton looked out towards their own no-mans-land;

"do you think they want another truce?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"no". She whispered, "it was a one-time thing".

Charlotte then added;

"besides, they've got Hitler, eh? That wee crazy man…he wouldn't let them do that. Hitler probably hated the truce back in the first war. Dirty bastard".

Lipton snorted;

"yeah".

Leaning forwards, Charlotte rested against the machine-gun;

"nice thought though, eh? A truce on Christmas Eve". She said, "the only thing my dad told me 'bout the first war, was the truce. He said it was like a switch. One minute they're killing each other, next they're having a game of football. I asked him how he could fight again, after doing that, eh? And he says, it was harder to take up his gun again, but it was his job and he had to do it. I don't think he wanted to".

Picking up the binoculars, she looked through them.

It was hard to see much of anything when it was so dark, but she did make out a shadow, which moved quickly across the enemy line, towards something. The singing suddenly stopped, as if someone turned off the radio. Charlotte saw a puff of smoke and soon heard the tell-tale sign of a shell being launched;

"GET DOWN!" She yelled, "MORTAR!"

Quickly, Lipton got out of the outpost, to warn the rest of the men.

While Charlotte ducked down.

The mortars hit their line and beyond.

And soon, she could hear planes whooshing above their heads, aiming for Bastogne. It was a loud and devastating Christmas. The Germans weren't looking for a truce, they were planning to bomb the hell out of Bastogne and the forest. Being out on her own, Charlotte screamed into the outpost. Mud and snow reached her mouth, she wanted to bury herself twenty feet into the ground. And, through all the shelling's, she heard a familiar voice cry out for a medic.

It was Winters.

Charlotte felt her stomach turn, fearing that he had been hit.

He continued to yell for a medic, sounding desperate.

Feeling her eyes burn, Charlotte lifted her head.

Spitting out the mud and snow from inside her mouth, she grabbed the edge of the outpost and dragged herself out. On her feet now, she crouched down and ran. The earth shook, causing her to stumble and fall but sure enough, Charlotte reached Battalion HQ.

Peacock was trying to put out a small fire.

While Roe tended to their wounded officer.

Welsh got hit on the leg by a shell.

Charlotte took a step back, allowing Winters and Nixon to carry their friend over to the jeep, which was waiting to take Welsh away back to Bastogne. And Roe went with them. When the jeep sped away, the mortars stopped attacking Easy's line. Charlotte looked up at Winters, who stared back at her.

The Captain wiped his friend's blood on his trousers.

Charlotte took a step towards him;

"sir?"

"Yeah?" He asked quietly, looking back down at her.

Her heart was hammering against her chest. Her head started to hurt again, and her stomach twisted and turned. She could taste those navy white beans coming up back. Pulling a face, she leaned forward and vomited. Winters moved to the side and placed a hand on her back. It didn't last long; Charlotte did end up dry heaving for a few minutes, but it didn't last as long as last time.

Taking in a deep breath, she spat out the bile in her mouth.

Feeling dizzy, Charlotte closed her eyes and leaned into Winters side.

Winters wrapped his arm around her;

"alright there, Lottie?"

"Aye – sorry".

"It's not your fault". Winters assured her quietly.

She sighed;

"stress, eh?"

He frowned, "you 'wanna sack out here tonight?"

It did sound inviting.

Charlotte would feel a lot safer with Winters.

However, she couldn't leave her friends, who were probably cleaning up the mess the Germans left behind on their line. Wiping her eyes, Charlotte shook her head;

"best not, sir". She whispered, "my pals will be wondering 'bout me".

Winters squeezed her shoulder;

"okay, trooper".

Looking up at the Captain, a brittle smile reached her lips;

"Merry Christmas, sir".

And his smile wavered;

"Merry Christmas, Lottie".


	37. Chapter 36

Walking along the line, with insanely cold weather to keep her company along the way, Charlotte stuffed both hands into her jacket pocket. She stuck her mouth and nose into the scarf, which she had picked up on Boxing Day, after Patton's army broke the encircled troops. The 101st was no longer surrounded and conditions had improved slightly. But even still, it would never stop being so damn cold.

It also started to snow again that morning and didn't stop.

Charlotte made it up to HQ, where Nixon and Winters were sitting down, sharing the same foxhole tonight, as it was too cold to sleep alone. Waking over to the men, she saw them both shake hands;

"it's midnight". Nixon said, "Happy New Year, Dick".

"Happy New Year, Nix". He said back, "helluva place to spend it, huh?"

"At least we're alive".

"We have to be". Winters said, "otherwise we wouldn't be feeling this miserable".

Feeling her eyes sting a little, Charlotte blinked.

Lips twitching slightly, Charlotte moved towards the foxhole, boots crunching against the soft and thick snow. Once by their foxhole, she sat on the edge first, before sliding down to sit between them. Nixon moved over a little, giving her a little more space. She brought her hands out of her pockets;

"Happy New Year, sirs".

Smiling small, Winters shook her hand;

"Happy New Year, Lottie".

Nixon shook her hand next;

"Happy New Year, kiddo".

Hands going back into her pocket, she tucked her chin under her scarf.

Large and soft snowflakes fell from the heavy sky, deepening the snow already blanketing the ground. Soon, she could hear friends sing very quietly; "Auld Lang Syne". Feeling tears fill her eyes, she swallowed back the lump lodged in her throat. The three of them listened and didn't say a word during their singing. In fact, it was so incredibly soothing, that it put Charlotte to sleep.

Leaning heavily against Winters, he soon wrapped his arm around her.

When the singing stopped, the silence resumed.

Until Nixon said;

"I wonder where we'll be next year at this time".

Looking over Charlotte, Winters told him;

"or how many of us will be left".

Raising an eyebrow, Nixon faced the front again;

"Jesus". He whispered, "guess we'll see, huh?"

He then asked;

"what's the deal with Lottie tonight?"

Winters shrugged one shoulder;

"Bill told me she hasn't been feeling well". He said, "and then she told she might be stressed".

Nixon sighed;

"hope she doesn't break, Dick".

"No, I'm sure she'll be fine".

Charlotte wasn't dreaming but she was having a good sleep, snuggled up next to the Captain. She felt completely safe like the Germans couldn't harm her where she was. However, one hour after she had fallen asleep, all hell broke loose. Easy decided to give the Germans a little New Year's gift, where they set off their mortars and machine-guns. Quickly, the Germans fired back. And, among all that, Toye got hit on the arm. Leaving 1st squad without their leader.

When Charlotte returned to the line, soon after the shelling ended, she met up with Kiehn, who told her;

"you're acting as Corporal until Joe gets back".

Giving him a nod, Charlotte asked;

"is he alright, Will?"

"He say's he'll be back…I'm sure he will be".

Charlotte sighed;

"that's his third fucking time being hit".

"Yeah, he's got some luck, huh?"

Guarnere was soon standing next to her;

"Lottie – you good? The fuck were you?"

"I was with Captain Winters". She replied, "you alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine". He replied, "listen – did Will tell you?"

Charlotte nodded, "aye…he told me".

"Alright, good. So, let's get everyone ready, huh? We're clearing out the woods near the town of Foy when it gets light".

"You told Chuck and Popeye?" She asked him.

Guarnere nodded, "and Malark".

"Where's Buck?" Kiehn asked.

The Staff Sargent sighed;

"finding fucking Dike".

Charlotte tutted;

"fuck sake…the piece of shit is probably up at Division – lazy arse".

"Yeah, we're pretty much fucked with him as our leader". Guarnere agreed.

"Who, Dike?"

Turning around, the three of them saw Muck heading their way;

"I was just thinking about him".

"That's disturbing". Charlotte shuddered.

Smirking, Muck lightly pushed her arm;

"damn right, Lottie".

Potter soon joined the small circle.

Like always, he had a smile on his face. It seemed Bastogne could never break his spirit;

"I have a good feeling about this attack". He told her, "I believe we'll do well".

Kiehn gave him a nod;

"God been speaking to you again, Geo?"

Smiling still, Potter shook his head;

"don't be silly, Will. God can't speak to anyone, unless you're insane".

Snorting, Charlotte looked down and grinned at the snow.

"He can only hear our prayers". Potter went on, "and I am confident, that he has heard ours".

**…**

It seemed that Potter was right once again, during that one-thousand-yard attack through the woods, they came under heavy machine-gun fire from the enemy but only suffered two casualties. For the most part, they came under little resistance, making their job easy for once.

With 1st Battalion by their old position looking over Foy, Easy dug in for the night somewhere new. They didn't encounter much and tried to dig into the hard ground, to create foxholes.

"This is fucking nippy". Charlotte muttered to Kiehn, "the ground is frozen, man".

"Hard work today". He agreed with a sigh, "we're heading back to our old positions soon".

Shaking her head, Charlotte continued to dig;

"and here we are, eh? Making a new hole to sleep in".

Though, with the sound of the odd firing in the distance, Charlotte tried to work faster. Raising an eyebrow, Kiehn commented;

"you got a rocket up your ass, Lottie?"

Shaking her head, she said;

"I'm not waiting around for another shelling, man".

She then added;

"can't believe I'm trusting a hole in the ground, to save my fucking life".

An amused smile lifted Kiehn's face;

"I know, right? We must be insane-"

"we are". She said, "we are – it's like, what the fuck are we doing, eh? Digging holes, living out in this weather…why can't the Jerry's just give up?"

Kiehn shook his head;

"cause they're waiting for us to give up?"

"That won't happen though". Charlotte pointed out, "cause we're a bunch of insane snowmen, freezing our arses off, while dodging shells".

He continued to stare at her.

And that smile remained on his face;

"you got that right, Lottie". He said, "we're just a bunch of snowmen".

"I fucking hate this place!" Charlotte snapped.

Suddenly, Kiehn wasn't smiling anymore.

She dropped her entrenching tool;

"I'm sick to the back teeth of fucking snow, Will. This place is driving me up the bloody wall – only, the wall is made of fucking ice and I keep on sliding down and reaching this hell hole again. We can't get out of here, unless we're dead – that's just it! We're stuck here, until we're all-"

"Lottie!" Buck quickly cut her off, while he walked over to her, "nice hole your digging, huh?"

Breathing heavily, Charlotte looked up at the Lieutenant;

"this hole is a piece of shit".

He shrugged, "well…make it better, huh? In fact, why don't you come with me for a minute? Need your help with something".

Sighing, she nodded and got out of the half-finished foxhole.

Buck placed his hand on her shoulder and asked her lowly;

"what's going on, goofy? You're scaring the damn replacements-"

"fuck that". She muttered, "sir, this place can get to fuck. How am I the only one yelling?"

"Because you're letting shit get to you". He told her, "you can't lose your damn head out here, goofy. You'll die".

"I'll die anyway". She hissed, "if my mind don't get me fucking killed, then a shell will. I can't fucking handle it, man. It makes me fucking sick".

Buck felt his face form into a frown.

"I get it, goofy". He said softly, "I really do…but you're not allowed to give up, alright? We need you here, on the line and fighting with us".

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah, man…I've fucking reached it, eh? I can't take another fucking shelling".

"Yes, you can". Buck told her firmly, "because you have to".

Her face almost crumbled;

"I can't fucking sleep, man". She said, voice breaking. "And everyone's getting hit, eh? It's shit watching your pals getting hit".

Buck placed both hands on her shoulders and crouched a little, so they were eye level.

"Lottie, you won't give up. It's not what you do, okay? You've come this far, don't give up. You have to keep going forward and you can't look back".

A few tears rolled down her face, out of pure frustration.

Charlotte sighed heavily, bottom lip quivering.

"Fuck it, eh?" She mumbled thickly, "you're right, sir".

Nodding, Buck squeezed her shoulders.

When Malarkey walked over, Charlotte cleared her throat and quickly wiped her face.

Frowning a little, he asked;

"Lottie, you good?"

Nodding, she gave him a tight smile.

Malarkey then turned to face Bick;

"I found Lip, Buck".

"Great – lead the way. Goofy, come with us".

Sighing heavily, Charlotte followed after the two men walking in front of her.

Stuffing one hand into her pocket, the other rubbed her eyes once again.

When they reached Lipton, he was busy helping Shifty dig a foxhole.

Hoobler and Hashey were walking away, heading back to their foxhole.

"Hey, Lip?" Buck called, while they approached them. "You got a sec?"

"Yes, sir". The 1st Sargent replied.

Getting out of the foxhole, Lipton handed Malarkey the entrenching tool;

"give him a hand".

Reluctantly, Malarkey got into the foxhole to help Shifty.

Charlotte took a seat on the edge of the foxhole, staring at her feet.

"Where's Dike?" They could hear Buck asked Lipton.

"He's – uh – he's around". Lipton answered lamely.

"Could you be a little more specific there, Sargent?"

"Not really, sir". Lipton replied.

Buck sighed;

"Goddammit, I haven't seen him all day. I didn't see him when we were coming through the woods, and I have to figure out how we ended up".

"Well, two wounded". Lipton told him.

"Who?"

"Brown and Stevenson".

"Goddammit". Buck muttered, "and where's Dike? Where the hell is he? Where the hell does he ever go?"

"I don't know, but I'd wish he'd stay the hell there". Malarkey remarked.

"I'd be nice if he took Lieutenant Shames with him". Shifty added.

"Shut up, boys". Lipton told them off.

"Shutting up, Sarge". Malarkey said, as he continued to dig the sides of the foxhole.

Soon, one single shot fired out.

Buck and Lipton jumped into the foxhole, while Shifty pulled Charlotte down.

The five of them searched around, trying to figure out where the shot came from.

"Patrol?" Malarkey guessed.

"No, we would've heard". Lipton replied.

"One man". Buck pointed out, "might be a sniper".

"That was no rifle". Shifty said quietly.

"What do you see, Shift?" Lipton asked him.

"Nobody out there". Shifty replied, after a few moments.

"Are you sure?" Buck asked.

"Uh-huh".

Suddenly, Hashey appeared;

"oh, Jesus! It's Hoob! He's shot!"

"Sniper?" Buck asked.

"No, no". Hashey replied, "he shot himself!"

Hoobler had managed to get himself a Luger, after shooting down a German, who was riding on a horse. Unfortunately, that same gun shot Hoobler in the leg. He was so proud from finding his Luger, that he told everyone in the Company, Winters included. The bullet had cut into one of his main artery's and Hoobler died, just as they were about to move him up to the aid station.

Another Toccoa man had lost his life.

And that tragic event triggered something inside of Buck.

He became serious, almost. Usually, Buck was the man with the jokes, the man who liked to goof around and play cards. But after watching another man lose his life, Buck seemed to change dramatically. Charlotte figured it was stress, even she had changed since entering the forest. A lot of men did so, like Guarnere, Charlotte didn't take Buck's sudden change in behaviour too seriously. Though, despite all those rumours concerning their Lieutenant, he still did his job;

"and I want tight security around the Company CP, Lieutenant Shames. Is that understood?" Dike ordered Shames, who was leading 3rd Platoon – unlucky for 3rd, Shames loved to scream at his men.

"Alright". Shames agreed.

"Now, Battalion S3 is planning a move, so, I will probably be called away regularly".

Charlotte frowned.

She was hiding behind a tree, technically spying in on the meeting.

"Are there any questions?" Dike asked.

"Uh – yeah…". Buck said, "what's the formation you're wanting us to go for?"

"At present, as per usual". Dike replied, "but I'll clarify that with you at a later time – Lieutenant Compton".

Licking his bottom lip, Buck nodded;

"yes, sir".

"Alright". Dike said, after yawning, "I've 'gotta make a call".

"Let's move out". Buck ordered the other men.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte took a step to the side.

Buck and Lipton sighed, when they saw her.

"Dammit, goofy". Buck muttered, "were you eavesdropping?"

Charlotte didn't see the point in lying;

"aye…aye, I was being a pure spy". She said, "I'm sort of sorry".

Lipton sighed;

"don't repeat what he told us, okay?"

"Nah, I won't". Charlotte mumbled bitterly, "wouldn't want to cause him further embarrassment, eh?"

"Lottie". Lipton told her, with a knowing look.

"Nah, Lip, this is pure fucking shit". She said, face forming into an angry frown. "We just lost fucking Hoob – and that geezer doesn't give a shit, does he? I fucking knew it – he doesn't give a shit about any of us, eh? So why the fuck, do we have to follow his shitty orders?"

"That's enough". Lipton told her firmly, "despite all that, he's an officer, Lottie. And if you go against his orders, then you're in a hell of a lot of trouble".

Sighing heavily, Charlotte ran a hand down her face;

"I'm fucked with all this, like".

Lipton placed his hand on her shoulder;

"come on…you're sacking out with me tonight".

**…**

Sitting next to Lipton inside his foxhole, he was cleaning down Hoobler's Luger.

Charlotte was lost in her own thoughts, while she watched their 1st Sargent carefully clean the pistol in his hands. However, a voice suddenly broke her trance;

"I heard about Hoobler. Shame".

It was Dike.

Charlotte felt her hands form into fists.

"Yes, sir". Lipton said quietly, "it is".

"That the Luger?" Dike asked.

"Yes, it is".

"What are you 'gonna do with it?"

Lipton shook his head, "I don't know yet".

After a short pause, Dike asked;

"where you from, Lipton? Where'd you grow up?"

"Huntington, West Virginia". Lipton replied quietly.

"Huntington?" Dike asked.

"Yeah".

"I don't know it". He said, "what kind of work did you do there?"

"My brother and I helped my mom run a boarding house". Lipton told him.

"And your father?"

"He was killed when I was ten, sir". Lipton said, "automobile accident".

Charlotte frowned; she didn't know that about their 1st Sargent.

"That's sad". Dike said, though, he didn't sound like he meant it. "So, what made you decide to join the Paratroopers?"

"I read an article about Paratroopers in Life Magazine. Talked about training, how hard it was. It said if you wanted to make it as a Paratrooper, you had to be the best. And I wanted to fight with the best, sir".

Dike, who was looking ahead, then asked;

"you miss it?"

Lipton frowned in confusion;

"miss what, sir?"

"Huntington".

"Honestly, sir, I try not to think about it that much".

Lipton then asked him;

"where are you from, sir-"

But Dike had wandered off.

Raising an eyebrow, Lipton shook his head and looked back down at the Luger.

Charlotte gave her head a little shake;

"good talk, sir".

Lipton ended up chuckling quietly at that;

"yup…almost felt like an interview".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte looked up at Lipton;

"I'm a fucking arse, Lip". She mumbled, "I don't mean to be a total tool sometimes".

Lipton snorted;

"I'm not 'gonna hold this against you, Lottie. You spoke your mind, huh? You never used to do that".

She frowned;

"cause I don't like the way he acts around you's, sir". She whispered, "I don't want a guy like Dike, getting us killed, you know?"

"I get it, Lottie". Lipton mumbled, "but you've 'gotta be careful what you say".

Charlotte sighed quietly;

"don't worry, Lip. I'm used to that, eh?"

Frowning a little, Charlotte rubbed the end of her nose.

"What about you, Lottie, where'd you grow up?"

"Wee cottage outside of Edinburgh". She replied quietly. "Was a braw wee place but I spent most of my time inside or at the library – mind what I said, eh? I had to teach myself stuff".

Lipton nodded, with a tiny smile;

"yeah, I remember…the light bulb".

"Aye, that's right". Charlotte mumbled. "Felt like a proper genius that day".

Smiling wider now, Lipton brought out the blanket and covered their bodies.

Charlotte pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.

Wrapping his arm around her, he asked;

"you doing alright, buddy?"

Charlotte leaned into his side, with a tiny frown.

"Aye". She replied, "stress just gets me down, I reckon".

After a moment of silence, Lipton told her;

"you've come a long way from never camping before".

Feeling tears burn her eyes, she choked out a tiny laugh.

"I'm still a softy".

Lipton shrugged;

"with a hard shell".

He then asked her;

"why did you join the Paratroopers?"

Charlotte let out a short laugh;

"my pal from Lancaster, he wanted to join up and I figured – why not join him, eh? He didn't pass the medical and dad wanted me to join with a strong unit…so, he got me into the 506th". She said, "that's pretty much it…and like, I wanted to not go when Harry didn't get it but dad told me to go, that I shouldn't be quitting".

Lipton smiled;

"glad you didn't quit, buddy".

She felt a smile reach her lips;

"glad you read that magazine, Lipton".


	38. Chapter 37

The next morning, Peacock was given a thirty-day furlough back to the States.

Naturally, the men were happy to see him go.

No one tried harder than Peacock.

Taking charge of 1st Platoon was Lieutenant Foley, a good officer, who worked alongside Buck during training in Mourmelon. Charlotte could think of another officer who might have been better back at home for thirty-days; Dike.

Unfortunately, that man wasn't going anywhere.

At the Company CP, Charlotte walked into what felt like a circus. Her friends were in front of cameras, smiling, waving and answering questions the reporters asked them. Not being a huge fan of a camera, Charlotte moved by the reporters and headed for Buck, who was standing with Lipton;

"the fuck is that, then?" She mumbled, gesturing towards the reporters.

"They 'wanna meet the famous 101st". Buck told her lightly, with a smirk. "Go on, goofy – smile for the camera, huh?"

She grimaced;

"I'd probably vomit, sir…best I stay clear, eh?"

"There she is!"

Eyes widening, Charlotte paled.

Again, Guarnere yelled;

"right over there, you can't miss her! The person who looks ready to puke!"

A few of her friends laughed at that, Buck and Lipton included.

Shaking her head, Charlotte sighed;

"fucking Christ". She whispered, "I'm ruined-"

"Lottie – get over here!" Guarnere called, sounding overly happy.

Pulling a face, she turned around.

Guarnere was grinning and continued to wave her over;

"come on, Lottie! They ain't 'gonna bite!"

Her legs felt like led, while she dragged them towards her best friend and a reporter.

As soon as she reached Guarnere, he grabbed her shoulders and placed her in front of him.

The camera seemed to lean in towards her.

And Charlotte couldn't lean away from the lens.

"This is her, fellas". Guarnere told the reporters while clapping her shoulder, "the famous female Paratrooper".

Slowly, Charlotte looked up.

She tried to smile but it looked too forced.

And the reporters didn't look impressed;

"this is…this is Private Gallagher?"

"Sure is". Guarnere confirmed, "tough as nails, Lottie is. Biggest badass around".

He was winding her up.

Charlotte could have killed him, if it wasn't for her churning stomach.

"Hey – she may be small but boy…is she fierce". Guarnere continued to say, "as soon as she walked into camp, we was right away intimidated".

Behind them, they could hear Martin and Grant laugh.

But Guarnere kept up the act;

"she was getting into all sorts of trouble…fights, mostly. See this scar?"

He pointed to his eyes.

One of the reporters shook his head;

"no".

Guarnere lowered his finger from his eyes and nodded down to Charlotte;

"well, that scar came from Lottie". He told them, "she knocked me out. I never crossed her again. Sure, the fellas didn't believe me…until Johnny got sliced".

"Who's Johnny?" The reporter asked.

Martin stepped in front of the camera;

"that would be me". He told them, "Lottie, she likes to drink. And boy, isn't she just an angry drunk. I said one thing to her and that was it – she put me to sleep". He then sighed, "but I wasn't the only one…".

"I got it too". Grant said to the reporters next, "see that scar?"

He pointed to his eye.

Again, the reporter shook his head;

"I don't see-"

"well, it happened three weeks into training". Grant continued to say, "thing is, I don't know what I said…must have caught her on a bad day. You know, I think I just wished her a good morning, like a good buddy would, huh? Since then, I ain't ever greeted her in the morning again".

The reporters looked down at Charlotte.

She was sweating.

And her hands shook with nerves from being in front of a camera.

One of the reporters cleared his throat;

"is this true, Private Gallagher?"

She didn't reply.

The camera moved down, closing in on her face.

Charlotte's eyes widened.

She could feel her stomach start to hurt from nerves.

Hand slapping against her mouth, she shook her head;

"nope!" Charlotte said, voice muffled behind her sweaty hand.

With that said, she turned and ran away from the camera, leaving her three friends laughing. Guarnere must have felt some sympathy, as he soon jogged over to her, where she leaned against a tree and gagged. Guarnere winced;

"sorry but…yeah, it was pretty funny".

Shaking her head, she continued to vomit.

He placed a hand on her back;

"look, you can bite my head off later, huh?"

When she stopped getting sick, Charlotte let out a tiny sigh.

Wiping a hand across her face, she said;

"biggest badass, eh?"

Guarnere smirked;

"you got that right, pal".

Lips twitching, she looked up at him;

"you're making me out to be hard, man".

Charlotte then groaned;

"now everyone in America is 'gonna see me puke".

"Not if you do something about it". Guarnere told her, "tell them to get rid of the footage".

She pulled a face;

"you do it-"

"nah, you've 'gotta stand up for yourself".

"Bill, you put me in this fucking situation – sort it out".

"If you do this, they'll think you're a badass, Lottie".

"This is…it won't work". Charlotte said, "come on, Bill".

Guarnere shook his head;

"Lottie, I can't sort out all your problems".

Sighing, she looked over at the reporters;

"fuck sake". She muttered, before walking over to them.

Grinning, Guarnere followed behind her.

Once she was standing behind that same reporter, Charlotte almost turned back around and walked away but Guarnere stopped her. Giving her a tiny push forward, Charlotte ended up knocking into the reporters back.

He turned around and looked down;

"Private Gallagher?"

And he was about to put the camera on her, but she pushed it away;

"don't film me". Charlotte mumbled, "listen – alright? I want you to do something".

The reporter raised an eyebrow;

"oh, yeah? What's that?"

"Eh – get rid of the footage". She then added quietly, "please?"

"No can do". He refused, "America's 'gonna love it".

Sighing, Charlotte nodded;

"alright, fair enough". She mumbled, "thanks for listening".

"Hey, don't worry about it".

Turning back around, she was met with Guarnere's glare.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she took in a deep breath.

Charlotte looked back at the reporter;

"actually, no…you're 'gonna have to get rid of that".

The reporter pulled a face;

"kid, I ain't doing that". He told her, "it's entertainment. It'll make them happy".

"Listen, bud". Charlotte placed her hands on his jacket, "you get rid – get rid of that". Her voice dropped, while she smoothed down his jacket, "that footage, alright?"

The reporter snorted;

"right…here's what I'll do…I'm 'gonna keep the footage, show America that they have a damn clown in the army, and I'll make fifteen hundred bucks – how about that?"

Hands leaving his jacket, Charlotte frowned;

"so…you won't be getting rid of the footage, then?"

The reporter laughed;

"Christ…not only are you a clown, but you're stupid too, huh? We were expecting someone a lot different than this joke of a female Paratrooper we're getting".

Guarnere wanted to punch this guy in the face.

But he wanted to see how Charlotte was going to handle this.

The reporter then added;

"you're 'gonna have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince, kid. Cause with a sour face like that-"

"what?" Charlotte whispered.

Guarnere felt his lips twitch.

The reporter smirked;

"oh, I'm sorry…did I offend you?"

Shaking her head, she said;

"nah…nah…what'd you say?" Charlotte asked quietly, "did you just – fuck…I have to kiss what?"

The reporter looked confused;

"you ain't ever heard that expression before? It means you ain't easy on the eyes-"

"frogs?" Charlotte repeated, quietly at first.

And then, she snapped;

"FROGS?!"

"Jesus, it's just frogs". The reporter mumbled, "what's your issue with-"

"listen, you piece of vile shit!" Charlotte hissed, grabbing his jacket, "you take that back, alright?! I'm not kissing any fucking frogs! Those slimy bastards are immortal scum and I'd rather get hit by a shell, than have to kiss a fucking FROG!" She yelled, "I fucking hate frogs!"

The reporter's eyes widened, and he did look a little terrified.

Charlotte gave him a shake;

"take it back!"

"Alright!" The reporter exclaimed, "alright…you ain't kissing no frogs".

Still glaring up at him, she nodded.

"Good". Charlotte's voice lowered, "I fucking hate frogs-"

"yeah, I got that".

Letting go of him, Charlotte nodded.

She then looked behind her;

"well?"

Guarnere shook his head;

"you forget something, pal".

Frowning a little and trying to work out what that was, she soon remembered.

Giving her friend a tiny smile, she nodded;

"you're right, Bill".

Smile leaving her face, she then grabbed hold of the reporter's jacket again;

"get rid of that footage!"

"Already done". He promised her, "huh? I'll do it right away".

The smile appeared on her face again;

"cheers, man".

Charlotte made quite the impression.

The reporter figured she had lost her mind but got rid of her footage anyway, while Charlotte stood over him and watched. With that done, she felt pretty proud of herself and held her head up high. But her good mood only got better, when Toye returned.

Taking off his sling, she ran over to him, with a huge grin;

"Joe!"

He smiled back;

"Lottie, how're you doing?"

"Much better now, man". She wrapped her arm around his waist, "missed you, Joe. Will's been great and all but…well, he's not you, eh?"

It was a great relief to have their squad leader back.

And things were finally starting to look up a little.

The snow wasn't falling as thickly, they had a hot meal and Charlotte made her friends laugh until their stomachs hurt when Guarnere told everyone about that reporter. It felt like old times, when they were back in the mess hall, shooting the shit and having a laugh.

Things were finally okay again.

**…**

By the afternoon, they reached their old positions looking over Foy.

It was clear to see, that 1st Battalion had the hell shelled out of them. There were signs of tree bursts everywhere and that spiked a small amount of nerves, which settled in everyone's gut. So, they were quickly ordered to refortify their foxholes. Charlotte and Jackson got to work straight away, while she was out hacking down branches, Jackson was shovelling out the snow and splinters from inside the foxhole.

All was quiet, while the men were busy digging in.

That was until, Lipton screamed;

"INCOMING! TAKE COVER!"

And just like that, things weren't "okay", anymore.

Shells slammed right into their line, hitting them directly. They were zeroed in, completely at the mercy of the Germans and their 88's. They exploded the trees, they hit the ground and caused everything to shake. Men fell to the ground, trying to crawl towards the safety of a foxhole. While others took cover, shaking and praying that the shells would miss them.

It all happened so quickly.

Charlotte dropped to the ground when the earth started to shake.

All around her, shells exploded, and she was met with bright flashes of white and orange. Everything was so loud, that she almost couldn't breathe. It wasn't that she was scared, she was so beyond scared, that Charlotte couldn't feel anything. Nails digging into the snow, she tried to drag herself to safety, while dirt, splinters and snow rained down on her.

She figured that this shelling might actually kill her this time around.

But fate had other ideas.

Someone grabbed her boot and pulled her back.

Letting out a scream, Charlotte soon landed in a foxhole, with Guarnere and Malarkey.

Looking at them, with a thankful expression, she nodded.

The three of them curled near each other, heads ducking to the ground.

Charlotte didn't know how long the shelling lasted.

But when it suddenly went quiet, no one dared to move.

Very slowly, the three of them made their way towards the edge of the foxhole.

Looking out, they couldn't see any bodies or blood.

Just white snow and dirt mixed in with splinters from the exploding trees.

"Maybe we should check if anyone's hit". Malarkey suggested after a few seconds had passed.

"Nah, Malark". Guarnere said, "that's what they want. Krauts are trying to draw us out in the open".

Frowning, Charlotte whispered;

"you think?"

Guarnere nodded;

"don't worry". He said, "they can't see us in our foxholes".

"I need my helmet!" A voice called out.

"You hear that?" Malarkey asked them.

"I need help!"

Charlotte's eyes widened;

"is that Joe?"

"Yeah, I think that's Joe". Malarkey said.

Guarnere pushed himself up;

"stay".

Charlotte grabbed his jacket;

"Bill! No!"

"Lottie, stay!" He ordered her.

Yanking himself away from her grip, Guarnere ran towards the cries for help, coming from Toye. And Charlotte stayed put, conflicted. Eyes searching the area, she soon came to the decision; she had to go after Guarnere.

While pushing herself up, Malarkey tried to pull her back down;

"hey – don't do it!" He hissed.

"I can't, Malark". She said, "I have to go, eh? Can't fucking do nothing without him".

"Lottie, no!" Malarkey yelled, "get back in here!"

"Jesus, man!" She said, "let me go, eh?!"

Charlotte managed to yank herself free from Malarkey's firm grip.

Panting slightly, she turned to face him;

"it's 'gonna be alright, Malark". She assured him, "aye – it's fine…see you soon!"

Charlotte wasn't sure what to say, when it could have been the last thing, she said to anyone.

Malarkey called for her one last time, before she took off in a run, trying to locate where her friends were. Guarnere must have reached Toye because she couldn't hear his cries for help anymore. Which only made finding them harder for Charlotte.

It seemed Guarnere was right, for the Germans bombed them a second time.

Charlotte fell to the ground, while shells exploded behind her.

Getting back on her feet, she ran a few more steps and fell once again.

"COME ON! COME ON! HURRY UP!" She could hear Buck yell, "GURNO, YOU'RE 'GONNA GET BOMBED! COME ON!"

Pushing her hands into the snow, Charlotte was back on her feet.

She ran towards the sound, while the earth seemed to tilt from side to side, while each shell hit the ground. When Charlotte reached a tiny opening, she grabbed onto the tree to stop herself from falling. But from there, she could see Guarnere, who was dragging Toye towards a foxhole.

"MOVE IT, BILL! MOVE IT!" Buck screamed.

Charlotte took a step into the opening, while her boot knocked against something.

Looking down, she saw it was a helmet – Toye's helmet.

"LOTTIE!" Buck yelled, when he noticed her, "LOTTIE WHAT ARE YOU-"

"LOTTIE!" Guarnere then yelled, "I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING STAY!"

"HOLD ON, I'LL BE THERE!" Buck then said to Guarnere, "I CAN HELP!"

Charlotte didn't hear the shell, not at first.

Until she looked up and noticed it fly above her head.

Things seemed to happen in slow motion.

While her eyes followed the shell, she soon saw where it was heading.

Eyes widening, she took a step forward;

"BILL!" She screamed.

"NO!" Buck yelled.

But it didn't matter how much they didn't want that shell to explode, it did.

And it landed right on top of Guarnere and Toye.

The impact threw Charlotte back and her back fell hard against a tree.

She was winded but nothing was broken.

Gasping for breath, Charlotte fell forwards, while her helmet rolled onto the ground, knocking against Toye's. And that's when she looked back towards the opening. The smoke from the shell had cleared and she could see her friends. With the shelling beginning to die down, Charlotte got onto her feet and slowly walked into the small opening.

As did Buck.

Her eyes moved towards their Lieutenant.

He stared at the sight before him, before Charlotte had the chance to look.

"MEDIC!" Buck screamed.

His helmet dropped to the ground, as did he.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat and clenching her jaw, Charlotte followed the trail of blood. And that's where she found her friends, tangled up together. Toye was almost missing his leg but Guarnere had lost his leg completely. For the first few seconds, she was on her own.

Shaking her head, Charlotte got onto her knees and took Guarnere's hand.

Her finger went to his wrist, where she felt a pulse.

Charlotte then did the same to Toye.

They were both alive.

Badly wounded but alive.

She looked over at the Lieutenant, who looked lost and dazed.

Blinking a few times, Charlotte looked back down at her friends.

She saw Guarnere staring back at her;

"pal". He croaked, "bad is it?"

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte took his hand.

Guarnere let out a tiny sigh;

"that bad, huh? What'd I lose?"

Clearing her throat, she replied quietly;

"your leg".

Guarnere sighed again and looked away from Charlotte, facing the sky instead.

"Joe okay?"

Charlotte's other hand was still gripping Toye's;

"he's alive". She whispered.

"Maybe they could…could reattach it". Guarnere whispered, referring to his leg.

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she nodded;

"aye, maybe, pal". Charlotte said softly.

Suddenly, Toye squeezed her hand;

"Jesus Christ". Her squad leader hissed.

Charlotte looked at him;

"Joe?"

He sighed;

"I'm a fucking idiot".

Shaking her head, Charlotte told him;

"you were seeing if we were okay".

Roe arrived with Malarkey.

Soon, the three of them untangled the two Sargent's and began to take care of the bleeding. The men were slipping in and out of consciousness, from the pain and losing all that blood. Jackson arrived on sight and stopped a jeep, ordering the driver, at gunpoint, to take the Sargent's back into town.

"Hey, Lottie".

Charlotte looked back down at Guarnere;

"aye?"

He huffed;

"told you I'd get you out of your shell, huh?"

Closing her eyes, she looked away from him, when she felt her bottom lip quiver.

"I fucking love you". She mumbled through her tears.

"Love you, Lottie". Guarnere said, "been one hell of a ride, huh?"

When her eyes opened, a tear rolled down her face.

Snorting, he closed his eyes;

"you fucking baby".

When Guarnere was moved onto the stretcher, he soon caught sight of Lipton;

"hey, Lip. They got old Gonorrhea this time".

Charlotte got onto her feet and watched him go.

"Hey, Joe". Guarnere called out, "told you I'd beat you back to the States".

And then, the man passed out.

He lay down, closed his eyes and fainted.

Charlotte was soon sitting next to Toye, who was smoking a cigarette;

"make sure Will knows what he's doing". He told her, "take care of the fellas – look out for each other".

She nodded;

"aye, we will, Joe".

Winking, Toye held up his hand.

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte placed her hand into his.

He gave her a nod;

"see you back in the States, Lottie – Malark".

Charlotte's eyes soon found Buck, who was shuffling to the rear.

No helmet and weaponless, she knew it was happening.

Getting onto her feet, she called out to him;

"you can't leave us, sir!"

But Buck brushed on by as if he didn't hear her.

Growing desperate now, Charlotte grabbed Buck around the waist from behind and tried to pull him back;

"you can't leave us!" She said, "you don't get to do that!"

But he continued to walk forward.

Charlotte never let go, however;

"stop!" She screamed, voice breaking, "don't leave us!"

However, her hands somehow slipped from his waist and she fell, kneeling helplessly on the snow. Head bowing, she felt the weight of it all press down on her shoulders. Tears completely blinded her, and she watched them drip onto the snow. Charlotte covered her eyes with her hand and cried quietly.

Soon, a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"He can't go". She cried quietly, shaking her head, "we need him".

Squeezing her shoulder, Winters took in a deep breath.

Getting back onto his feet, he needed to try.

"Buck!" He called, jogging towards him, "Buck. Where do you think you're going?"

Sniffing, Charlotte lifted her head.

Buck stopped walking.

"Get back to your Platoon, Buck". Winters ordered him, "think of your men. They need you. I need you".

But the Lieutenant didn't respond.

"Buck, you're an officer; you've 'gotta get a hold of yourself". Winters continued to try, "I can't excuse you for this. If I excuse it for the officers, then what reason do I have to expect the men to put up with the same conditions?"

"I can't take it anymore". Buck said finally. "I just can't take it anymore. I'm sorry".

Bottom lip quivering again, Charlotte looked down at the bloody snow.

And she knew at that moment, that things could never be okay again.

Lipton was soon crouched next to her, arm going around her shoulders.

Sniffing, she leaned into his side;

"this is fucked". She croaked, "so fucked…what the hell are we 'gonna do, man?"

Shaking his head, Lipton rubbed her arm;

"we've 'gotta keep going, bud". He murmured, "that's all we can do".


	39. Chapter 38

Charlotte was alone, still kneeling in the snow. And fresh snow fell from the sky, landing on her shoulders and jacket. Slightly frozen, she wouldn't have known it, as her entire body felt numb. Tears gone from her face; Charlotte got onto her feet. Running a hand down her face, she turned around and was met with Grant and Martin, who were standing a few feet behind her.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out a cigarette and lit it up.

Taking in a long drag, she walked over to her two friends.

Guarnere, Toye and Buck weren't returning to the line.

Charlotte couldn't change that, she just had to deal with the truth.

And though devastated and heartbroken, Charlotte knew she had a lot on her shoulders now. With Buck and Guarnere gone, Malarkey would run 2nd Platoon. And with Toye gone, Kiehn was now squad leader, meaning Charlotte would have to assist him. She couldn't break or lose her mind. Charlotte swallowed back that heartbreak and the hurt, from Buck leaving the line. She put one foot in front of the other and met Grant and Martin, who were waiting for her.

Tossing his arm around her shoulders, Grant led her away.

Charlotte wrapped her arms around Grant and Martin's waists.

The three of them walked together, heading back to the Company.

And back to their jobs.

**…**

"Where is he?"

"No idea".

"This is so fucking stupid". Jackson hissed, "I can't believe he fucking left us, Lottie".

"No?" Charlotte mumbled, "I can".

"He's not meant to leave his flock". Potter said quietly, "we needed order yesterday and he abandoned us".

Charlotte looked over at Potter;

"he didn't leave his flock, man". She said, "we have Lip. He's out backbone now. We don't need Dike, not when we have Lip and the best fucking NCO's in the army".

It was strange, hearing Charlotte being that optimistic.

Jackson wondered if she smacked her head against that tree, as well as her back.

"We're 'gonna be alright". Charlotte whispered, "we just have to be now, eh?"

She was so far passed sad, that she didn't feel much at all.

One side of her brain had shut down, while the other took over and pushed her forward. Charlotte was aware that things had gone to shit but she didn't have the mind to deal with it. In front of her, she had a small squad, who were lost and looking for answers. And she had one guy, who couldn't seem to stop crying. Even Kiehn was struggling. They were all going through it but handling it in their own way.

"Anyway". Charlotte said, while sitting on the edge of Potter and Jackson's foxhole, "you two are on watch first, okay?"

Jackson nodded, "no problem, Lottie".

"Where's Will?" Potter asked, sounding a little concerned.

Frowning a little, Charlotte tried to give him an assuring smile;

"don't worry about Will, man, he's just taking it easy for a few hours".

"Is he doing alright?" Jackson sounded worried now.

"Jack, it's alright". She stressed gently, "I'll have Babe and Eddie take over in two hours".

"Ah – speaking of". Jackson said, "Eddie lost his blanket".

Charlotte sighed;

"aye, no bother". She mumbled, "I'll get him one".

"Have you seen my spare socks?" Potter asked her, "I can't seem to find them".

"Don't worry". Charlotte said, while rubbing the back of her neck. "I'll get you some".

A tiny smile reached his lips;

"thank you, Lottie".

When the pair of them left for the outpost, Charlotte got onto her feet and walked towards Kiehn, who was sitting in his foxhole, staring blankly ahead. Biting her lower lip, she sat herself down on the edge and cleared her throat;

"you 'gonna get up at some point today, man?"

Keihn didn't respond.

Charlotte sighed;

"listen". She mumbled, "some of your guys are struggling, eh? Hayes hasn't stopped crying since we lost Joe. Will, you need to be helping me out here, man".

"Lottie". Keihn whispered, shaking his head.

Frowning, she looked over at him.

"Lottie…I can't".

Chewing on her bottom lip, Charlotte looked away from him.

Staring at the fir tree, which stood in front of his foxhole, she felt her shoulders drop.

"Fuck, Will". She whispered, "I don't think I can-"

"you have too". He said quietly, "Joe wanted you to do it".

Running her tongue over the roof of her mouth, she huffed;

"shit, Will". She mumbled, "look – let me talk to Lip 'bout it first, alright?"

After a few moments, Kiehn nodded.

"Okay". She whispered, while getting on her feet.

Lipton wasn't hard to find, he spent most of his time by 2nd Platoon since they lost Buck. Charlotte found the man near Grant and his 2nd squad. They were planning to start clearing the woods tomorrow. When the 1st Sargent saw her, she could see the concern in his eyes;

"where's Will, Lottie?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"doesn't 'wanna do it, Lip". She said, "I'm hoping he'll get up at some point today".

"You got a hold on things?"

"Aye, don't worry 'bout it, Lip". Charlotte assured him, "you seen doc anywhere? Eddie lost his blanket and Geo needs a new pair of socks".

"Try HQ, Lottie". Lipton told her, "and while you're there, tell Captain Winters that I'm worried about Will". He said quietly, "few days off the line might do him some good, bud".

"Alright, Lip". Charlotte said, and then gave Grant a nod, "see you's later".

Walking down the line, Charlotte managed to pick up a pair of socks along the way from Perconte, who had an extra pair she could take. Now, she just needed to find a blanket for Eddie Joint and hopefully, that would keep the squad settled until they moved out again.

Charlotte did find Spina at HQ that morning.

He was collecting supplies from a jeep. Though, Charlotte only saw the man grabbing white sheets, to use for bandages. However, Spina seemed happy enough with the sheets. Walking towards the jeep, she stood next to the medic;

"alright there, Ralph?"

He gave her a smile;

"what can I do for you, Lottie?"

Charlotte cleared her throat;

"Eddie lost his blanket".

Spina snorted, "alright…so, you want me to get another?"

She shrugged;

"aye, if you can".

"For you, Lottie? Of course".

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"cheers, man".

Spina gave her a friendly wink, "no problem – how're the guys doing anyway?"

Nodding, Charlotte stuffed her hands into her pockets;

"aye, they're pushing on, eh?"

"All you can do, Lottie". Spina said, through a sigh. "I'll check in with Eddie once I get the blanket, Lottie. Do you need anything else?"

She snorted;

"well…if you could figure out a way to get us the fuck out of here, that would be grand".

Spina smirked;

"I ain't a magician, kid".

Thanking Spina once more, Charlotte moved towards Winters, who was looking over a map inside the HQ tent. Walking up the steps, she stood under the canopy and gave the man a little smile, when he noticed her. Winters got up and pointed towards the Sterno can;

"coffee?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"no thanks, sir". She said, "eh – I need to talk with you 'bout something".

"Of course, Lottie". Winters gestured towards a chair, "have a seat".

Sitting down on a chair, Winters stayed standing.

Clearing her throat, she said;

"it's Will, sir".

"Sargent Kiehn?" Winters asked, "what about him?"

"We're worried 'bout him". She said, "he's – well, I can't get him up, eh? I'm worried he's at his breaking point now".

Winters felt himself frowning;

"alright…well, send him with me. He can be my runner for a few days".

"Aye, sir".

He then added;

"are you managing?" Winters asked her quietly, "you're…you're doing alright?"

Blinking a few times, Charlotte nodded;

"aye – well, I think so". She mumbled, "it's weird…I'm just sort of doing it, eh?"

"Good". Winters said softly, still with a slight frown. "Let me know if that changes, huh? Could always use a runner".

Shaking her head, Charlotte said;

"I couldn't, eh? If Will has to come here then…well, shit. I'm leading 1st squad".

"You will be". Winters said, "you have to, Lottie. They need you".

Sighing, she ran a hand down her face;

"Christ, I'm just an idiot from Scotland, sir".

Smiling a little sadly, Winters crouched in front of her;

"no, Lottie. You're not an idiot from Scotland".

Hand leaving her face, she sighed again;

"I'm wrapping them up, so no one gets hurt".

The sad smile remained on his face as his hand went on her shoulder;

"it's 'gonna be fine, Lottie". Winters told her gently, "once Will comes back, he'll be a brand-new man. I promise".

Charlotte looked back at him, and she could have sworn, his eyes were shining.

"I'm so proud of you". He told her, while squeezing her shoulder, "don't give up, okay? You're hanging tough and the men in your squad can see that, Lottie and they're hanging tough with you".

Her eyes soon caught sight of a figure moving towards them.

Charlotte recognized him immediately as Nixon;

"Captain Nixon has a new nickname around the line". She told Winters, "Blue Beard".

Smiling, Winters coughed back a chuckle.

Looking down, he shook his head;

"oh, God".

Charlotte nodded slowly;

"aye…he needs to be shaving twice a day but nah – he's not one for that backwards rule, sir".

Pulling a half confused and half-amused frown, Nixon entered the tent;

"what did you say, to get Winters to smile again?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"no idea, sir". She said, "maybe Captain Winters's getting too much snow".

Giving his head a little shake, Nixon said;

"jeeps still running, kiddo". He told Charlotte, "what'd you say?"

Frowning a little, Charlotte shrugged;

"turn the engine off?"

A small smile reached his lips;

"are you playing dumb?"

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head;

"when?"

"Well, they leave tomorrow". Nixon told her, "so, today's your last opportunity".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte cleared her throat;

"what 'bout the lads, sir?"

"I'll let Lip know". Winters said to her, "you should go, Lottie. They'll want to see you before they leave".

Charlotte looked up at him;

"you coming?"

He shook his head;

"no…but Nixon will take you".

Nixon smiled;

"I'm a great driver".

Biting her bottom lip, she considered it.

And for a moment, she was about to decline but soon found herself agreeing;

"alright, I'll go".

**…**

It was an hour's drive to the field hospital.

However, with Nixon's driving, they made it there in forty minutes. Feeling a little sick from the drive, Charlotte was glad to be getting out of the jeep. Legs slightly shaky, she leaned into the door and looked up at Nixon;

"no offence, sir". She said, "but you drive like a pure mad man".

Nixon smirked;

"I'll take that as a compliment".

With a heavy sky above them, the pair walked into the field hospital and met the receptionist. Toye was still in surgery, while the doctors tried to remove the shrapnel from his leg. But Guarnere was supposedly conscious and was allowed a visitor. Nixon went with Charlotte, they both walked along a corridor, passing many gruesome sights. Some men were missing half their bodies, others had massive gashes to their heads. Charlotte even saw one man in a full-body cast. No one looked happy inside the hospital. Not even the staff.

Walking in their dirty, wet and smelly OD's, Nixon and Charlotte were soon standing outside of the wing where Guarnere was. Rubbing her lips, she felt nervous to go inside. It was stupid, really, to feel so nervous. Charlotte wanted to see him before he left for England. Because in reality, she might not get another chance. And with that thought in the back of her head, she opened the door and walked inside, while Nixon left and said something about a cigarette.

Charlotte spotted her friend as soon as she entered the wing.

Guarnere was awake, sweating with pain but he was awake.

Helmet tucked under her arm, she walked over to him.

And as she neared Guarnere, his lips twitched;

"wondered when you'd show up".

Shrugging, Charlotte replied;

"been busy, man".

"Yeah? Did you find Dike?"

"Nah, we're still looking".

Grabbing a chair, she pulled it towards his bed and sat down.

Placing her helmet on her lap, Charlotte asked;

"what're the nurses like?"

Smirking weakly, Guarnere looked at her;

"right up your street, pal".

"I should admit myself, eh? Say that I've gone mad or something".

"You'd be better company than these fellas". Guarnere glumly stated.

Rubbing her lips together, she leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm;

"you're alright?"

He sighed;

"they can't reattach my leg".

Charlotte frowned;

"that's alright, man". She whispered, "Big Billie doesn't need two anyway".

Guarnere snorted, "right". He said quietly. "Christ, Lottie".

Charlotte could see his eyes starting to tear-up.

"Frannie ain't 'gonna want me now". He mumbled thickly, "she won't 'wanna marry a damn crip-"

"stop it". Charlotte whispered firmly, "that's enough, you prick".

Guarnere looked away from her.

She sighed;

"look, Bill. Frannie loves the bones out of you, man and you're the fucking best. It's 'gonna be shit for a while but Bill…if anyone can turn a shit situation into something good, then it's you".

Giving his arm a squeeze, Charlotte added;

"look what you've done to me, man? You got me out of that fucking shell and you turned me into something good. You're the best – and my best pal".

Guarnere blinked and a tear rolled down his face.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte had to blink her unleashed tears away.

"You saved a lot of fucking lives out there". She said, "and you saved mine, right when I met you. Don't you fucking forget it, alright? We all think the world of you, Bill".

Closing his eyes, Guarnere clenched his jaw.

"Fuck". He squeezed out, "I'm the damn baby today".

Snorting, Charlotte lowered her head.

"Shut up". She whispered, voice on the edge of tears.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked at her;

"you better fucking survive, Lottie".

Charlotte looked back at him.

His face was serious;

"you've 'gotta". Guarnere went on, "we was meant to meet, Lottie. And when you survive this fucking war, me, you, Grant, Johnny and Babe – we're 'gonna get as drunk as sixteen skunks".

Charlotte's face softened; her lips created a small smile.

"I'll see you in South Philly, Bill".

She was glad to have seen Guarnere before he left for England. Charlotte might have regretted it if she decided not to. And to hear him talk and not bleeding out, gave her a sense of peace, that her friend was going to be okay. However, the same couldn't have been said about Toye. She didn't get to see her old squad leader that day, which worried Charlotte. But Guarnere promised to write to her, as soon as he found out how his surgery went.

Nixon was outside of the hospital, having a cigarette.

She walked out of the exit and saw the Captain, near a bench.

When Charlotte reached him, Nixon handed her a lit cigarette.

"Cheers, sir".

"How's Bill doing?"

Nodding, Charlotte took a drag from her cigarette;

"he's doing good, sir".

Nixon nodded, "good – what about Toye?"

Face dropping, she shook her head;

"he's in surgery the now".

A few moments of silence went by.

Until Nixon eventually said;

"they wrote Buck off with trench foot".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte nodded;

"I know". She mumbled, "doc told me".

Nixon shook his head;

"I labelled him as a jock back in England – and I hate damn jocks".

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte looked up at him.

He sighed;

"guess I was wrong…it's a damn shame he left the Company".

Nodding, she looked away from him;

"I know". Charlotte whispered, "and – I 'dunno, I'm only human. I was gutted – still am".

"Were you hoping Buck would replace Dike?"

Charlotte didn't want to answer that.

Nixon rolled his eyes;

"kiddo, I don't care. And I'll tell you the truth, Dike isn't a good officer and he should not be leading Easy Company".

Biting her bottom lip, she nodded;

"aye…would rather have Buck". She mumbled, "now he's gone? I don't want any officer in Easy leading us".

Blowing out the smoke from his cigarette, Nixon asked her;

"did you hear the rumours about Lieutenant Speirs?"

She shrugged;

"nah – people don't usually tell me nothing".

Nixon snorted;

"well, apparently, he shot down twenty POW's on D-Day and, he shot one of his own Sargent's for being too loud and not following orders – the Sargent was drunk, apparently".

Eyes widening a little, Charlotte cleared her throat;

"shit…he's the first guy I found to help us at Brecourt".

Nixon huffed;

"yeah…he sounds crazy, huh?"

"He sounds fucking terrifying, sir".

He smirked, "I wouldn't go as far as that, kiddo".

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte flicked away the butt end of her cigarette.

Nixon followed shortly after;

"ready to go?" He asked her.

Sighing, Charlotte turned back around and faced the hospital again.

"Might not ever see him again, you know". She mumbled, "could be dead tomorrow".

"So could anyone". Nixon told her softly.

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"aye, you're right, sir". She said, "we're not that special".

Nixon smirked;

"no, we're not". He agreed, "we're a crazy bunch of Paratroopers".

Turning around to look up at Nixon, Charlotte said;

"Lip joined the Paratroopers to fight alongside best". She said, "I reckon we're pretty great".

Charlotte then added, while taking a step forward;

"and if not me, then I can confidently say – that you're all the best crazy sons of a bitches I've had the fucking pleasure of meeting".

**…**

They weren't met with much resistance while clearing the woods west of Foy. After spending two days as Winters runner, Kiehn took charge of 1st squad. During that time, Dike returned from his walk and joined the line, just in time to clear the woods.

With the task completed, men dug themselves in for the night.

While Kiehn checked in with Jackson, Eddie, Hayes and Potter, Charlotte went off to find Heffron. And she did end up finding him pretty quickly. He was hanging back with the mortar squad, talking with Muck and Penkala, in the foxhole behind them. Arms wrapped around herself, to shield the biting cold away from her, Charlotte soon sat next to Heffron, on the edge of the foxhole.

"Hey, Lottie". Muck smiled, "glad to have Will back?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, it's good, Skip". She replied, "how're you's doing?"

"We're fine". Penkala shrugged.

"Where's Malark?" Charlotte asked them.

"Checking in with the fellas". Muck told her, "have you seen-"

"INCOMING!" Someone soon screamed, who sounded a lot like Lipton.

Quickly, Heffron and Charlotte ducked into the foxhole.

Muck and Penkala did the same in front of them.

Soon, their line was hammered by tank fire, 88's and mortar shells. The ground shook, trees burst and ditches were slammed into the earth from the impact. It was raining down on them hard, a lot harder than last time. Charlotte went deaf and like last time, it felt as though she couldn't breathe from the noise. Heffron reached over and took her hand, she squeezed his hand back. As if assuring him, that everything was going to be okay.

The pair of them huddled together, hand in hand.

Heffron prayed that they'd be saved from a shell.

While Charlotte tried to think of anything but the chaos going on around her. Shell after shell slammed into the ground, it seemed to go on for hours. The Germans were relentless, they knew Easy were planning on attacking Foy soon and the enemy was trying to wipe the entire company out.

Charlotte was never sure what caused the German's to stop shelling them. She figured they could have gone on for days but this time, the shelling lasted for over fifteen minutes. She didn't let go of Heffron's hand right away, frightened of the outcome. They had made it through another shelling but what if someone else didn't.

Heffron, who was a little braver than Charlotte, raised his head.

"Oh, shit". He said, during the quiet.

Feeling unsettled, Charlotte raised her head and looked at him;

"what?"

Shaking his head, Heffron let go of her hand and left the foxhole.

Frowning, Charlotte quickly got up and followed him.

"Babe?" She called out.

Heffron was kneeling beside a once occupied foxhole.

The foxhole which Muck and Penkala had taken cover in.

Getting onto her knees, she searched for any trace of their friends.

It was like they had vanished into thin air; she couldn't find anything left of them.

Eyes widening, she looked up at Heffron and shook her head.

"Oh, shit". Heffron repeated, sounding on the verge of tears.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte took in a deep breath and ran a hand down her face.

Swallowing back the swell of grief, she got onto her feet.

At that point, Lipton and Luz came rushing towards the foxhole.

But she left, just as she could hear Luz curse;

"fuck!"

When she reached Jackson and Potter, their faces didn't look good.

Feeling her heart tighten, she looked around and soon saw the cause for such sadness;

They lost Harold Hayes.

Taking in another deep breath, she gave Jackson an apologetic smile, before she turned around and walked away.


	40. Chapter 39

All she needed, was five minutes to clear her head.

To stop herself from crying and screaming out.

To stop herself from dropping her weapon, helmet and leaving the line.

Charlotte just needed five minutes.

She sat down on the snowy ground and leaned against a tree, while staring blankly ahead. It felt pointless, Charlotte didn't have Guarnere there, to yell and get her back up again. And yet, she still felt guilty, for taking five minutes away from her friends. Charlotte felt as though she had abandoned them. They had lost three friends in one shelling. 2nd Platoon were getting dangerously thin now.

Charlotte couldn't stop the tears from falling.

They fell silently.

One rolled after the other, almost freezing against her pale cheeks.

Against skin that used to feel and look healthy, which held a certain glow. And now, bony fingers would wipe them away. War had pretty much sucked the life out of Charlotte, as it did for her friends. Only most of her friends, would never return to combat, or would never see the end of the war.

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte swallowed back the lump in her throat. Wiping her jacket sleeve over her eyes and down her face, she sniffed and clenched her jaw, to stop herself from crying. Getting onto her feet, she faced the open field ahead. The field stretched on for two hundred and fifty yards and it was almost completely open, save for some carts, haystacks and sheds. But their main objective was Foy, the town sitting at the end of the field. If they secured Foy, then that was it. They hoped to be getting a rest. A well-deserved rest.

"Hey, kid".

Turning around, Charlotte saw Liebgott standing a few feet behind her.

Frowning a little, she greeted him back quietly;

"alright, Lieb?"

"You need a haircut".

"Aye? Well, you need a shave".

A brittle smile reached his lips, while he ran a hand over his stubble;

"I do". He agreed, "come on, let's get back to the fellas".

**…**

On the 13th of January, ten minutes before nine in the morning, the men of Easy sat around the edge of the forest, waiting for their order to move out and begin the attack on Foy. Feeling a slight drop of nerves, Charlotte resumed to share out the ammo with the rest from the squad. Her eyes moved towards Dike, who was getting a briefing from Winters. Captain Winters was in charge of the attack, not Strayer. Not that anyone from Easy cared. They just wanted to get out of Foy alive, with Dike leading them.

"Well, we've had a good run". Heffron said, with a sigh, "may as well get our blessings from God and see about getting into heaven, huh?"

Charlotte felt her lips twitch;

"alright, Babe. I haven't spoken much to the lad, maybe you could ask for a plus one?"

"I'm sure that's allowed".

Since Holland, their squad was so small.

Charlotte almost couldn't believe, that twelve used to make up 1st squad.

Now, they only had six left.

Five minutes left to go until the attack and Winters thought it best to hand her over Corporal stripes. Seeing as she couldn't exactly sew them on now, Charlotte saluted the Captain and tucked her new promotion into her jacket pocket for the time being.

Potter shook her hand;

"well, done, Lottie". He congratulated her, "you deserve this promotion".

Charlotte looked over at Grant and saw him smiling.

Lips twitching in return, she faced the squad again.

Lipton was leading 2nd Platoon during the assault. They had every confidence in Lipton and for the rest of their Platoon leaders, but they didn't have any confidence in Dike. They were sure that man was going to get half the Company killed. Charlotte had a small amount of hope, that Winters machine-gun covering fire would offer them enough fire for the whole two hundred and fifty yards into Foy. They had to run hard and fast, before the Germans could open up with their mortars and 88's.

Getting on her feet, Charlotte made her way towards Kiehn.

"Lottie". He greeted her, "we've 'gotta keep them moving. Once we reach Foy, deploy Babe and Eddie on the edge of town, so we can move under their fire".

Charlotte nodded;

"sound plan, Will".

"You bring them up". He told her, "I'll make sure Jack and Geo move with me".

Sighing quietly, Charlotte looked over at J.B Stokes, Lesniewski and Mauser, who had been permanently placed into Grant and Popeye's squad for more manpower. Grant lost a lot of guys in the forest, from wounds mostly. So, Dike split the squads up, to fill in some holes.

It was a good idea; Charlotte would give him that.

At 0900 hours, Easy Company ran out into the field.

With Winters covering fire, they confidently moved under it.

No one bunched up, the men were spread out and running hard and fast. The snow was still thick, however and proving difficult to run through. But the men managed, each eager and desperate to take Foy.

For the first seventy-five yards, the plan was stuck to and the men made great progress under their covering fire. However, just as they reached that seventy-five-yard mark, the skirmish line of Paratroopers halted, when Lipton suddenly ordered 2nd Platoon to;

"hold up!"

Charlotte stopped, dead on her feet.

Frowning, she quickly crouched down and waited. 1st Platoon was a lot further up than 2nd, with 3rd still in the rear. So, it was mainly men from 2nd, who were scattered around the open field, clueless as to why they were suddenly ordered to stop. While they waited, the Germans brought out their 88's and fired at the field.

Rolling away from the shell, it hit the ground hard.

Sharp ice and a burning pain reached her arm.

Charlotte took a look at her arm and saw blood, pooling out from a tear in her jacket. She suddenly caught sight of Heffron and Jackson, who were both on their bellies;

"Babe! Jack!" She called, while pressing her hand over her gash.

Heffron looked over at her;

"Lottie?!"

"Get behind that haystack with Jack!"

Her order was drowned out by another shell.

"Fuck". She hissed.

Sighing, she crawled over to Heffron.

Getting her uniform covered in dirt, ice and snow, Charlotte finally reached him.

"Get Jack and get behind that haystack!" She told him, "we need more covering fire!"

Heffron gave her a nod, once he processed the order quickly.

He went off to grab Jackson and the pair of them moved behind the haystack, the same haystack where Dike and Luz had taken cover, only, Charlotte didn't know that at that time. No one did. Her eyes looked around for their Company Commander, but she couldn't find the man anywhere.

"FIND SOME COVER!" Lipton yelled, "FIND SOME COVER!"

Looking up, Charlotte spotted Kiehn, Potter and Eddie Joint sprinting for another haystack.

Potter was in the back, firing out while trying to run.

The Germans fired out another shell and it broke the three men up.

Eyes widening, she watched the smoke rise, as well as the mud and snow.

Looking towards the haystack, she saw that Kiehn and Eddie had made it.

But Potter was nowhere to be found.

"LOTTIE! GET UP!" Lipton screamed, while reaching down to grab her shoulder, "COME ON!"

Getting on her feet, she stumbled and fell into a run.

Charlotte ended up behind the haystack with Heffron and Jackson.

As well as Dike and Luz.

Lipton got in beside Dike and demanded to know what was going on;

"why are we stopped?!"

As well as Lipton, Foley also asked;

"what are we doing, Lieutenant?!"

Charlotte moved around the haystack and found her two friends, who were still firing.

"FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" She could hear Dike yell.

Shaking her head, she placed her hand on Jackson's shoulder, who was feeding the ammo into the machine-gun;

"we're fucked here!" She told him.

"Dike ain't moving!" Jackson yelled back, "what the hell is going on, Lottie?!"

"No clue, man!" She told him, "what's your target at?!"

"Whatever the fuck is firing at 1st!" He replied.

"Don't use up all the ammo!" Charlotte reminded him, "hold your fire the now, until we figure out what the fuck is going on!"

When she moved back towards the officers and Lipton, they all seemed to be yelling at Dike, demanding a plan and some order to keep moving. And Dike looked a little lost, or maybe even scared. Either way, Charlotte didn't think they were going anywhere fast. To top it all off, Dike was refusing to speak with Winters on the radio for the time being. Charlotte could only imagine, how frustrated the Captain must have been feeling.

Finally, Dike gave the order;

"Foley! You take your men – you take your men on a flanking mission around the back of the village and attack it from the rear!"

He was met by a moment of silence.

Until Lipton yelled;

"we cannot stay here!"

Foley pulled a face;

"you want 1st Platoon to go around and attack the village by itself?!"

"We will provide suppressing fire!" Dike yelled.

"We're 'gonna be 'kinda alone out there, Lieutenant-"

"we will provide suppressing fire!"

Charlotte gave her head a little shake.

Dike looked like he was about to throw the worlds loudest tantrum. And Foley seemed to get the hint. Getting up, he ran back to join his Platoon. While Charlotte soon gave the order for Heffron to open fire. But their covering fire didn't do much to save another life. The man who ran up with Foley, Mellet, was shot down twice.

Men from 1st were dropping like flies.

Charlotte soon felt Jackson tap her arm;

"building with the caved-in roof!" He told her, "sniper!"

Giving him a nod, she turned and faced Dike.

Deciding not to tell him, she crouched and walked by the man, before reaching Lipton.

"Sniper, Lip!" She yelled, "Jack spotted him – building with the caved-in roof!"

"Get me some damn binoculars!" Lipton told her.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she turned to look at Dike.

Spotting the binoculars around his neck, she cleared her throat and told him;

"just 'gonna borrow these for a tick, sir!"

Dike didn't even acknowledge her.

So, she brought the binoculars over his head and handed them to Lipton.

Biting her bottom lip, she looked back at Dike.

The man looked frozen with fear.

Frowning a little, she looked back at Lipton, who was soon informing Luz of where the sniper was located. Luz then informed 1st Platoon. Now, they just needed to get rid of the sniper. Which would have been done a lot quicker, if Dike hadn't led them. Charlotte didn't think that man was on anyone's "good list" at the moment.

Lipton moved towards Dike, and accidentally knocked Charlotte out of the way.

"Sir, we are sitting ducks here!" Lipton yelled, sounding furious. "We have to keep moving!"

Charlotte knew that yell very well, however; she had never heard Lipton sound so angry before. She was used to him shouting at her because she did stupid things, but she'd never get the entire Company killed. Dike had royally fucked things up.

The Germans continued to hammer them with 88's, while a sniper had locked Easy under its sight. And Lipton was right, if they didn't move, then they'd die. But Charlotte figured Dike thought if they didn't move, then they – or he – would be safe. Either way, the man had frozen and Easy were without a Commanding Officer.

Looking towards Jackson and Heffron, she felt proud of her two friends, who refused to give up. They continued to fire, hoping to save more lives and trips to the aid station. And Charlotte might have been scared, knowing that it was possible now, that her life could end. Leaning back against the haystack, she then looked over at Lipton, who was still yelling at Dike.

Rubbing her lips together, she looked down at her rifle, which was firmly in her hold. Charlotte could feel the gash on her arm sting, while her blood started to dry. She could hear her heart, beating loudly in her chest and for a moment, that was all she could hear. It almost felt like she had left her body and Charlotte was hovering above the men, watching the battle from the sky.

Charlotte was scared.

They were stuck because Dike had frozen.

She wasn't sure where Potter was.

And her friends were pinned down by a sniper.

She could hear an assuring and warm voice in her head, drowning out the sound of her beating heart. And it belonged to Elmar Murray – Moe – their old squad leader. She missed Moe. He was kind, loyal and one of the best. Charlotte could remember the last thing he said to her;

_ "you're 'gonna do great, tyke. I'm so darn proud of you"._

And suddenly, as if by magic, the fear left her body.

Charlotte returned to earth.

Blinking a few times, she saw a figure running towards them.

It was Lieutenant Speirs.

Charlotte frowned and wondered;

_ "where the fuck did he come from?" _

Looking at Dike, Speirs said to him

"I'm taking over".

A sense of relief washed over, for those who could hear.

Charlotte looked at Heffron, who shared a quick smile with her, before firing out his gun once again. Jackson even looked happy. Charlotte figured; it would all be okay now. Speirs quickly got everyone in order, and they were soon racing up towards the town. Malarkey got his mortarmen to take care of the sniper in the caved-in roof, while the rest moved up, with 3rd Platoon following close behind.

Speirs saved the day.

Heffron, Charlotte and Jackson ran up behind Speirs.

While Kiehn and Eddie followed next to them.

"Babe – Eddie!" Kiehn ordered sharply, "deploy your MG here – Lottie, Jack – follow me!"

Once they reached the town, they were met by a lot of infantry and armour.

But the Germans did pull back a little, once they caught sight of the angry men charging toward the town. They cleared out the buildings, getting rid of the Germans inside. For the enemy who dropped their weapons, they were taken, prisoner.

That sniper had ended up killing four of their guys.

But Charlotte questioned five, while she tried to find Potter.

She and Jackson ran back onto the field, looking everywhere for their friend. When Charlotte finally did hear a small groan, coming from under a pile of wood and debris. Getting on her knees, Charlotte started to clear the wood away. Underneath, there was Potter. He was alive but just barely. His body was cut up by shrapnel. Charlotte could see blood pouring out from him everywhere. Looking over her shoulder, she screamed;

"MEDIC!"

Potter opened his eyes;

"good God". He whispered.

Charlotte looked back down at her friend and took his hand;

"they got you good this time, Geo". She mumbled, "but you're 'gonna be alright…you'll finally, be able to tell the folks at home 'bout this".

Though, Potter didn't look happy to be going home.

"It's over for me, Lottie?"

Frowning a little, she nodded;

"aye – aye, you're going home, man".

"I didn't…I didn't want it to be over". Potter told her quietly, while a tear rolled down his face. "Not yet, Lottie. God still has work for me to do here, with my brothers and my sister".

Another tear rolled down his face;

"I couldn't tell the folks at home, Lottie". He mumbled thickly, "not when…I don't even know where to start".

Closing her eyes for a moment, she pressed her forehead against his;

"you don't have to say anything, Geo". She whispered, "they'll just be happy your home".

She stayed with him, while Roe bandaged and cleaned Potter up as best he could.

And, while Roe went off to find a stretcher, Potter took off his chain and placed it in Charlotte's hands. It was a silver cross. And it seemed to glisten in her bloody hands. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she looked at Potter.

His lips twitched;

"I don't understand why you can't accept His faith when He has so much faith in you".

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte gave her head a shake;

"maybe to God, I'm not a good person".

Potter frowned;

"sorry, Lottie – but that's such bullshit".

Her eyes widened a little, Charlotte couldn't remember ever hearing her friend curse.

Potter continued;

"you are not a bad person. And God loves you, no matter what you think of yourself. Accept His love and faith in you and you'll see that you have no penance to pay".

Clearing her throat, she blinked away the unleased tears and put the chair over her head. The cross sat below her chest and she kept it hidden and out of danger, under her jacket. Giving him a tiny smile, Charlotte grabbed his hand again;

"you're one of the best, man". She said, "I hope you continue to shine brightly, Geo".

Getting onto her feet, the medics carried Potter off the line.

It was a heavy loss.

Potter was a great soldier, who held it together throughout his time out in combat. She could only remember times when Potter had held the squad together, while they argued with each other and yelled. He was always the man to put peace within the squad. Charlotte was going to miss him.

Watching him go, until he was placed into the back of a jeep, Charlotte then faced the town they had just taken. With a tiny smile, she took in a deep breath and moved towards the edge of town, where a few wounded men were bandaging themselves up. Charlotte had completely forgotten about her gash; the cold had numbed it down.

Reaching Martin first, she noticed that Perconte had been shot in the ass.

Charlotte shook her head;

"the fuck is wrong with those dirty bastards? Imagine shooting someone else in the arse? That's just pure wrong".

Huffing out a laugh, Martin tossed his arm over her shoulders;

"we did it, Lottie – we got this damn town".

"We did". Charlotte confirmed quietly, "so, what now?"

He sighed;

"hopefully nothing but a nice rest in a camp".

"Sounds peachy". She mumbled, "but…I doubt it, eh? Folk fucking love us".

**…**

That same night, Speirs soon became Easy's new Commanding Officer.

Dike left the line.

They'd likely never see him again.

The men dug in around the town of Foy that night.

It started to snow again. Blanketing the earth once again, with white.

The men sat in their foxholes, huddled together in an attempt to get warm. Most of the food was gone, as well as the water from their canteens and ammo was once again, very low. Charlotte was leaning into Jackson, who was leaning back into her, with his arms wrapped around her.

Closing their eyes, they tried to find some sleep.

**…**

The next day, they heard of their noon attack into Noville. Where Winters wanted his Battalion to move across the field in single file. Which raised a few eyebrows, but they figured, nothing could have been as bad as yesterday with Foy.

Luckily for 2nd Battalion, they crossed that field without the Germans firing at them. The Germans were more focused on 1st Battalion, who were four hundred yards to their left. They didn't make it into Noville that day but by mid-afternoon, the Battalion was safe in the embrace of this quirk of geography. Winters decided to have his men cross a stream, while he brought up machine-guns to cover their fire during the crossing. The stream wasn't wide, but it was wide for the likes of Charlotte, or men who were carrying heavier equipment. Still, she made it across, while others ended up falling into the water.

The Battalion made it across the stream unscathed.

Digging themselves foxholes, the men settled in for the night, when the short day came to a sudden end. Following the night, came the coldest night the men had ever experienced. It was there where Charlotte thought she might actually freeze to death. They couldn't get up to walk around and keep themselves warm, the men were bound inside their foxholes until their morning attack on Noville.

Everyone's teeth were chattering that night, while their bodies shivered, not allowing them to get any sleep. Charlotte was squished between Jackson and Kiehn. They had one blanket to share between them.

"we 'g-g-gotta message our f-feet". Kiehn said.

Jackson shook his head;

"n-no…don't expose your d-d-damn feet, Will".

"J-Jacks r-right". Charlotte said, "leave your b-b-boots on".

No one got any sleep that night.

And they were thankful when the sun greeted them that morning.

Easy and Fox managed to take Noville. They ran into some tanks, but a P-47 Thunderbolt roared above them. While Easy cheered for its arrival, the Germans quickly made an escape from the town. The plane unleashed a five-hundred-pound bomb that hit the fleeing German tanks. Noville was once again in American hands.

**…**

After Noville, they took Rachamps.

And once the town was secured and, in their hands, the men of Easy took shelter in a convent for the night, where the sisters brought in their choir to sing for them. It was their first night indoors in over a month and for the men, they could relax and sleep in the warmth.

Charlotte was sitting in the front pew, between Lipton and Luz.

Up near the back, Jackson slept, while Heffron prayed.

Kiehn and Eddie Joint exchanged cigarettes and quiet conversations.

Charlotte looked at Lipton, who was writing something down;

"what's that?" She asked him quietly.

"A roster". Lipton replied.

Frowning a little, Charlotte faced the singing choir.

Eventually, she plucked up the courage to ask;

"how many then?"

Lipton didn't answer straight away.

"Sixty-three".

Her face dropped;

"that's all?" She whispered.

"That's all". Lipton echoed quietly.

Feeling something heavy crash up against her chest, she leaned back against the pew and was about to run a hand down her face, when she suddenly hissed in pain. Frowning, she looked at her arm and noticed the tear in her jacket, with a gash underneath.

Pursing her lips together, she let out a tiny sigh.

It hurt now they were indoors and out from the cold.

But it was nothing to cry over.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte was in search for something to cover up her gash, when she soon brought out her Corporal stripes. Lips twitching, she took off her jacket faced Luz;

"George?"

Luz blinked and tiredly looked at her;

"yeah?"

"Got a sewing kit?"

Luz reached into his pocket and brought one out.

"Picked it up last week". He told her, "I want it back, huh?"

"Cheers". She mumbled, "you'll get it back, man".

Charlotte placed the thin thread through the needle and began to sew on her stripes. A light smile lifted Luz's face;

"when'd that happen?"

"Minutes before Foy".

He snorted, "perfect timing, huh?"

Luz then gently clapped her shoulder;

"well done, Lottie".

Getting up, Lipton handed the roster to Speirs.

And while their new CO checked things over, Lipton leaned against the pew and waited. He found himself looking over at Speirs, who soon noticed his stare. The 1st Sargent quickly looked away, but Speirs asked;

"what is it?"

"Nothing". Lipton responded, with a tiny shake of the head.

"Well, I'd better get back to Battalion before they disappear".

Speirs got up and gathered his gear.

Lipton remained leaning against the pew.

And Charlotte could hear the conversation.

"You 'wanna ask me, don't you?" Speirs said to Lipton.

Charlotte's eyebrow raised out of interest.

"Ask you what, sir?" Lipton wondered.

"You 'wanna know if they're true or not, the stories about me". Speirs said, "did you ever notice with stories like that, everyone says they heard it from someone who was there, but then when you ask that person, they say they heard it from someone who was there".

Charlotte frowned in thought.

Nodding her head slightly while she stitched, she figured this man was smart.

"That's nothing new, really". He continued to say, "I bet if you went back two thousand years, you'd hear a couple of centurions standing around and yakking about how Tertius lopped off the heads of some Carthaginian prisoners".

Charlotte had no idea who he was talking about.

But Lipton did;

"well, maybe they kept talking about it because they never heard Tertius deny it".

Slinging his weapon across his shoulder, Speirs faced Lipton.

"Well, maybe that's because Tertius knew there was some value to the men thinking he was the meanest, toughest son of a bitch in the whole Roman legion". Speirs said.

Just as the Lieutenant was walking away, Lipton called him;

"sir?"

Speirs stopped and turned around.

The 1st Sargent then told him;

"these men aren't really concerned about the stories. They're just glad to have you as our CO. They're happy to have a good leader again".

Charlotte felt her lips twitch, thinking that was nice for Lipton to tell that to Speirs.

"Well, from what I've heard, they've always had one". Speirs said. "I've been told there's always been one man they could count on. Led 'em into the Bois Jacques, held them together when they had the crap shelled out of 'em in the woods. Every day he kept his spirits up, kept the men focused, gave 'em direction. All the things a good combat leader does".

Charlotte looked up towards Lipton, who was staring in thought.

"You don't have any idea who I'm talking about, do you?" Speirs asked him lowly.

Lipton shook his head, with a tiny smile;

"no, sir".

"Hell, it was you, 1st Sargent". Speirs told him, with a small smile, "ever since Winters made Battalion, you've been the leader of Easy Company".

The Lieutenant was about to walk away, when he suddenly turned to face Lipton again;

"oh". He said, "and you're not 'gonna be 1st Sargent much longer, 1st Sargent".

"Sir?" Lipton asked him quietly.

"Winters put you in for a Battlefield Commission, and Sink approved on your behalf. You should get the official nod in a few days". Speirs then smiled, "congratulations, Lieutenant".

With a tiny smile, Lipton gave the officer a nod.

Speirs turned and left the convent.

Charlotte felt Luz give her shoulder a tiny nudge;

"how about that, huh?" He whispered.

Blinking, Charlotte looked up at Lipton;

"it's brilliant, George".

When Lipton took a seat back next to Charlotte, Luz leaned over and shook his hand;

"well done, Lip". He congratulated with a smile, "what a damn proud moment".

"Thanks, George".

Charlotte shook his hand next;

"you deserve it, Lip". She said to him softly, "we're all pure proud of you".

"Thanks, bud". Lipton smiled back at her, "that's new". He said, nodding towards her Corporal stripes.

"Ah – it's nothing, man". She mumbled, "besides, what's going to happen now?"

"Well, we're heading off the line". Lipton reminded, "and from there, I'm not sure".

Charlotte handed Luz his sewing kit back and then asked;

"by the way…who the fuck is Tertius?"

Chucking, Lipton shook his head;

"go to sleep, Lottie". He told her, "and stop eavesdropping".

"I can't help hearing, Lip". She mumbled, while leaning into his side.

Lipton wrapped his arm around her;

"see you in the morning, bud".


	41. Chapter 40

After a night spent inside the convent, Easy learned they were bound of Haguenau.

And like most places in Europe, Charlotte didn't have a clue where it was.

They only knew it was in France and that it was a long way away. The men were given a small tour of France, while they stopped from town to village, allowing them to stretch their legs or fill up the trucks with petrol. And along that journey, Lipton managed to get sick. According to the medics, their 1st Sargent had contracted pneumonia. Charlotte was aware that the sickness was serious and even she tried to convince him to rest up in the aid station. But Lipton refused, not wanting to take a day off from the line;

"it's just a cough". He said.

Charlotte sighed;

"Lip – no offence, alright? But you look fucking grey, man".

She meant well.

But it wasn't just Lipton who was sick, a lot of men from 2nd Battalion had managed to pass around their germs, as if they figured sharing was caring. Roe started to warn the men to wash their hands with soap before eating and after using the latrines. Which was an odd request, when they were still practically living outside.

Not wanting to get sick again, Charlotte followed the medics advice, as if she had been ordered to do so from Speirs – who, she tried her best to avoid. It wasn't that Charlotte disliked the man; she was just a little frightened of him. Whenever the man would make his way over to 2nd, Charlotte would be hiding behind Grant or someone else. Of course, her friends teased her a lot. But she fired back with;

"don't be an arse – you're all scared of him too".

**…**

When they boarded the trucks next, they were heading to Haguenau.

Sitting with 2nd Platoon, Charlotte noticed that they didn't even fill the back of the truck. Trying to ignore the cold and heavy feeling in her stomach, she settled down with her friends. The truck rumbled to life and followed in behind the other moving trucks.

The tyres bumped down the uneven road, with potholes and puddles.

Leaning back against the side, Charlotte tilted her head up and looked towards the heavy sky. She wondered if it was going to start snowing again, despite the temperatures getting a little warmer. But it didn't snow, it rained instead. Blinking the rain away from her eyes, she lowered her head.

It wasn't raining too heavily.

So, to pass the time, Charlotte decided to write Guarnere a letter.

Bringing out a piece of paper and a pencil, she drew her knees up to her chest and placed her feet on the bench, so she could use her legs as a desk.

_ "Bill, _

_ How's it going? Is Joe doing better? I didn't get your letter yet, something wrong with the supplies again. You know how it is, eh? Things are still going here. We got a new CO, when Dike froze during an attack. Speirs is our new CO now. He's a scary fucker. I didn't even know about the rumours until it was too late. Still, he's way better than Dike. That guy was a fucking chooch. _

_Not sure if you know who we lost, man, but I'll tell you anyway. We lost Skip, Penkala and Hayes all in the same shelling. And since Buck left the line, Malark's taken over 2nd, we don't have an officer yet. He's good, Chuck's helping him out. I reckon we'll do alright for the now, eh? _

_ Fucking miss you, Bill. Pure shit without you, Joe and Buck. But it's shit without my Hardy, Bill. This Laurel is fucking lonely! Still, I've been keeping pretty busy, eh? I got promoted to Corporal, which is alright. Keeps me on my toes, I suppose. _

_ Will you tell me how you're doing, man? I felt kind of worried when I left you. Look, you know you were being stupid saying that Frannie won't want you, eh? She'll still love you, Bill. And when you get married, I better be there! Also, when you have a kid, you'd better be naming him/her Lottie. Cause I'm naming all my kids Bill, remember. _

_ Anyway, man. I'll close this now. I'm on a truck and leaning on my legs. This letter might have wee holes in the shape of a pencil. Just so you know why they're there, eh? Right, love you, you prick. Hopefully, I'll see you soon. _

_ Your best pal,_

_ Lottie. _

_ P.S, who the fuck is Tertius? _

**…**

Charlotte was half asleep, when the truck suddenly dipped into a large pothole, making her eyes snap open with fright;

"fucking hell". She mumbled.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked up at Jackson;

"we almost there?"

He shrugged;

"no idea, Lottie". Jackson mumbled, "we're starting to pass by houses".

"That's a good sign". She said, "my stomach can't handle this road much longer".

"Oh, God. Don't puke". Heffron said, with his eyes closed, "try and think of something nice".

Raising her eyebrow, Charlotte looked over at him;

"like what, Babe?"

He sighed;

"rainbows and ponies".

Grant choked out a laugh;

"Jesus – do you know our Lottie at all, Babe?"

Heffron smirked;

"I was being sarcastic, Chuck".

"Hot showers and beds". Liebgott said to her, "that's a nice thought".

Sighing Charlotte looked at her hands;

"gloves that cover your fingers". She added quietly.

"Hey, guys!" A cheerful voice greeted 2nd Platoon.

Frowning a little, Charlotte muttered;

"who the fuck is that?"

Jackson shrugged, "no idea, Lottie".

"Some Lieutenant told me to report to 2nd". The guy continued to say.

No one looked overly happy to see this guy.

Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck and leaned forward, wanting to check out who it was. She seemed to recognise him after a few moments; it was David Webster, originally from 1st Platoon, who joined them before they jumped into Holland.

"Your names Jackson, right?" Webster gave him a nod.

"That's right". Came Jackson's gruff response.

"Who's leading the Platoon?"

Jackson's eyes wandered towards Malarkey, who was standing up;

"Sargent Malarkey is".

"What, no officers?" Webster asked.

"I guess you didn't hear". Liebgott said.

Webster looked over at him;

"no, what's that?"

"They're making Malarkey a Lieutenant". He said, "he's on the fast track now".

Pulling a face, Charlotte looked over at Liebgott;

"really?" She mumbled.

But her confusion went unnoticed.

"Really, that's great". Webster remarked.

"Yeah, ain't it?" Liebgott muttered.

"Yeah – Jackson, help me up, will you?" Webster put his bag on the truck, while Charlotte and Grant moved down the bench, creating room for Webster. Once he was securely on the back of the truck, Charlotte leaned forward again to look at him.

"You were shot in Holland?"

Webster smiled and nodded;

"that's right – you're Lottie, right? I never got the chance to meet you properly".

Rubbing her lips together, she extended her hand for him to shake;

"you sound proper posh". She remarked, while they shook hands.

Webster chuckled, "I wouldn't say that I'm posh, Lottie".

"Nah?" She raised an eyebrow, "sorry, man – you just sound it, eh?"

When the handshake ended, Jackson asked;

"so, uh…you come from the hospital?"

"Yeah". Webster replied.

"Must've liked that hospital". Liebgott commented, "cause – uh – we left Holland four months ago".

"Well, I wasn't there the whole time". Webster said, "there was rehabilitation, then the replacement deport".

"Well, I'm sure you tried to bust out and help us in Bastogne, Web".

"I don't know how I would have done that".

"That's funny". Liebgott mumbled, "cause Popeye found a way. So did Alley, right? Back in Holland?"

Heffron nodded, in agreement with Liebgott.

"And Guarnere". He continued, "and…".

"Yeah, where is Guarnere?" Webster cut Liebgott off, "he still your Platoon Sargent?"

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head and leaned back.

"No". Jackson told him.

"LET'S GO!" Someone yelled, once the trucks had stopped.

"He got hit". Jackson finished telling him.

They all got up and started to jump down from the truck.

Meanwhile, Webster looked a little shocked;

"yeah?"

"Yeah". Heffron confirmed, "Bill got hit. Blew his whole leg off".

Feet landing on the muddy ground, 2nd Platoon followed Malarkey up the street.

At the end of the path, they stepped out onto a road.

"Hold along this line, 'till I figure out where we're going". Malarkey ordered them.

They kept spread out, standing along the edge of the road.

Charlotte took in the grim and almost destroyed town. She could spot a few undamaged houses but the majority of them looked ready to fall down. Charlotte was getting used to seeing once beautiful towns, which had been destroyed by war. It was all part of the job now. And those were the types of towns, they needed to secure.

While a shell dropped and landed in a building nearby.

Some slightly ducked, while others just stood there.

Webster, however, dove for the ground.

Heffron let out a short laugh;

"Jesus Christ…and he's with us?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"he'll be alright, Babe".

No one seemed to have much faith in Webster. And Charlotte tried to take a page from Potter's book and give the guy a chance. He had missed out on Bastogne, their toughest time out in combat yet. But Webster was a Normandy veteran and deserved the respect from everyone. However, it wasn't Charlotte's place to change her friend's opinions. Webster would need to do that himself.

Malarkey returned to his Platoon;

"come on, fellas". He said to them, "I've got us the best house in town".

"You did that for us, Malark?" Grant smirked, "ain't we lucky".

He snorted;

"sure are, Chuck".

Charlotte was aware of the noises coming from across the river. The Germans were on the other side, occasionally firing at them and causing a ruckus. But they were so desensitised since coming out of the forest, that the noise didn't even cause them to flinch anymore. Instead, they shared out cigarettes, talked about the town and the journey there;

"thought I was 'gonna lose my breakfast". She told Jackson, "that was one bumpy ride".

"Lottie, you didn't eat breakfast". Jackson pointed out.

"Aye, I did". She mumbled, "mind? I ate that – oh, shit". Charlotte frowned, "coffee doesn't count, eh?"

Huffing out a laugh, he shook his head;

"no, Lottie. Coffee don't count".

Charlotte sighed;

"well…still would've been gutted if I lost my caffeine, mate".

She then asked;

"by the way, who's-"

"don't tell her!" Grant quickly cut her off, "don't tell her, Jack. She's 'gotta ask him".

Charlotte tutted;

"I'm not asking Speirs, mate".

He grinned, "well…we ain't 'gonna tell you".

She shrugged, "fair enough…I've already asked Bill in a letter".

Grant's grin widened;

"and I told him not to tell you already, Lottie".

Charlotte sighed, "for fuck sake, Chuck".

Jackson chuckled, "sorry, Lottie. I can't tell you who Tertius is".

"Hang on". Kiehn said, turning to face Charlotte, "you ain't eaten?"

She shook her head;

"nah, man…not today – how?"

"Goddammit, Lottie". He hissed, "come with me – we're 'gonna find you something to eat".

Rolling her eyes, she said;

"no offence, Will but I'd rather get settled in, eh?"

Jackson smiled and offered;

"give me your bag, Lottie. I'll put your stuff down and save you a bed".

"Fine". Charlotte agreed through a sigh, "see you's later".

After handing Jackson her bag, Kiehn and Charlotte took off in search for food. The houses were empty of people but not of belongings. Charlotte refused to loot anything except for food. So, she stood up on a chair and searched the kitchen cabinets, while Kiehn ransacked the panty. She didn't spot anything nice-looking, expect canned fish, which turned her stomach;

"the fuck are these folk eating?"

"Huh? What'd you find?" Kiehn asked her.

Shaking her head, she held up the fish;

"fish in a can – like, what the fuck, Will? That's pure rank".

Shaking his head, Kiehn told her;

"put it in your pocket, that's a good find".

Nose twitching, she did as was told.

Kiehn then added;

"it ain't the weirdest thing the French eat, Lottie".

"Nah?"

"Nope". He told her, "they also eat snails-"

"what?" Charlotte mumbled.

But Kiehn wasn't finished.

"And frog's legs".

Eyes widening, Charlotte almost fell off the chair;

"what?!" She exclaimed, "why the fuck are they eating frogs? Don't they know anything, Will?! Those bastards are immortal!"

Kiehn grinned;

"guess they didn't know that, Lottie".

He then said;

"canned fish ain't weird at all".

Grimacing, Charlotte climbed down from the chair;

"no?"

"No". Kiehn said, "ain't you ever heard of tuna fish?"

"I'm guessing it's a fish". She mumbled, "but nah – never heard of it, man. Sounds weird though. Who'd put fish in a can?"

He huffed;

"Christ, Lottie – everyone!"

Charlotte shrugged;

"first I've heard of it".

Kiehn had found a few potatoes as well, which was a great find out on the line. Handing some to Charlotte, the pair of them soon left the house. 2nd Platoon OP was only around the corner, so, wanting to settle in and figure out what was going on, they both headed in that direction.

Charlotte ended up dropping her potatoes.

She was carrying too much and they rolled out of her arms.

Kiehn, who was walking ahead of her laughed;

"come on, Lottie!" He called out, "keep up!"

Charlotte smiled, though, it was soon wiped off, when she heard a familiar sound.

"Fuck". She cursed, before diving down, "Will – get out!"

The shell hit the earth and exploded.

Charlotte coughed when chalk and debris fell around her.

Lifting her head, the smoke was still thick.

"Will?" She called out.

But received no answer.

"Oh, no". Charlotte whispered.

Quickly getting onto her feet, she ran towards where she had last seen him. And she did find Kiehn, only, he wasn't moving. The shell had hit him, almost directly. Dropping to her knees, she screamed;

"HELP! I NEED A MEDIC!"

It didn't take very long until Roe appeared.

He had been close by, when the shell hit.

Charlotte grabbed onto Kiehn's hand;

"Will?" She called out, panicked, "come on, man…don't – don't fucking do this".

Pursing her lips, she let out a groan;

"Will!" Charlotte called out sharply, "come on! Wake up!"

Roe didn't speak, he only tended to the worst of Kiehn's wounds.

His head and chest.

Charlotte couldn't see her friend's chest rise and fall, she could only see blood.

"Oh my God". She moaned, shaking her head, "Jesus Christ".

Feeling her face crumble and grief crash into her body, like a house had just fallen on top of her, Charlotte covered her mouth in shock, while she continued to shake her head. Eventually, that shock became too much for her body to handle and she leaned to the side, vomiting up the coffee she had earlier that day.

Someone silently placed his hand on her back.

Charlotte coughed and spat out the foul taste in her mouth, with a shudder.

"Jesus". She mumbled, "what the fuck-"

"come on, kid". It was Liebgott, "let's get you out of here".

A choking sound left her, as if she was about to sob but managed to stop herself.

Liebgott grabbed her arm and gently pulled her up.

Hand going around her shoulders, he led her away from the circle of 2nd Platoon men.

**…**

Looking down the drain, Charlotte watched all the mud, sweat and blood disappear.

It was going to take a lot more than a shower, to wash Bastogne away but at least they were getting a hot shower, which was so desperately needed. And, waiting for her, was a new uniform and boots. Winter clothing, which had better use for them out in the forest. But Charlotte wasn't complaining, they all needed a new uniform.

Minutes before she entered the shower, Charlotte learned of the patrol set for that night. She didn't know much details, only that Malarkey was leading, and they picked 2nd Platoon, along with Shifty from 3rd for the patrol. No one was happy about it. Not even Charlotte could say something positive about the patrol across the river.

Once dried and in her new and clean uniform, she left the shower tent.

Charlotte walked around the back of CP, where she had plans to meet Winters. However, she wasn't expecting to see Speirs standing there as well and Charlotte almost ran the other way. And she might have done if Speirs didn't notice her first;

"Corporal Gallagher". He greeted, "glad you could finally join us".

Her eyes widened a little;

"I'm late, sir?"

"Yeah – five minutes". Speirs informed her, "where have you been?"

"Eh – showers, sir". Charlotte responded, "had to wait until it got quiet".

Shrugging, the Captain faced the river again.

Winters soon turned to face her and smiled;

"hello, trooper".

She felt her shoulders drop, with a sense of relief.

At least Winters was with her.

Charlotte walked over and stood next to him;

"hey, sir". She greeted back quietly, "so, patrol across the river?"

"Yup". Winters confirmed, "Regiment wants live prisoners. And while you're there, I want you to destroy the enemy OP".

Looking over the river, Charlotte searched the tiny village on the other side.

"Where's the OP, sir?"

"We've found a lot of enemy activity in the three-story house". Winters said to her, "that's where you'll put the charges".

"You wanting me to do that, sir?"

"Yeah, I do". He said, "Sargent Malarkey will give you them".

Charlotte nodded;

"no bother, sir".

"You've 'gotta hide it in the building, I want a time delayer on the charge".

She nodded again;

"right, sir".

Winters then added;

"it can't be seen". He reminded her, "I'd suggest placing it in the walls or under the floor".

"I'll set it off for tomorrow". Charlotte said, "you needing me to set the timer?"

"No, Luz has already done that". Winters told her, "you've just 'gotta hide it and set the timer off. And I think Luz has the timer set to go off tomorrow anyway".

She soon decided to ask about another important matter;

"listen, sir, about the-"

"Captain Winters?" A voice said from behind them.

Turning around and looking up, Charlotte soon saw an officer she didn't know.

"About the patrol". The officer said, "I feel that I should go on the patrol, sir. I know I could use the experience".

After a small pause, Winters replied;

"denied. Anything else?"

Speirs then added;

"you're not 'gonna lead that patrol, Lieutenant Jones".

Thinking it was over, Winters gave the Lieutenant a nod and faced the river again.

However, Jones took a step forward;

"permission to speak, sir".

Frowning a little, Charlotte looked up at Winters.

He either looked a little peeved off or slightly amused, by Jones's persistence.

Turning to face him, Winters agreed to hear him out;

"go on, Lieutenant".

"It looks like Sargent Malarkey could use a break, sir". Jones said.

Charlotte pulled a face and looked down at her boots.

Jones continued to say;

"I've discussed it with him, and he said that he did not mind if I took his place on the patrol".

Winters gave a nod;

"that was nice of him". He said, sounding slightly sarcastic.

Soon, Vest appeared behind Jones.

"Captain Winters". Vest greeted, "I'd really like to be on that patrol, sir. If it's true the Krauts are finished, I haven't really done anything except deliver mail and type morning reports".

"Absolutely". Winters said.

Vest almost smiled, "thank you, Captain".

Winters then leaned back and told Speirs;

"he's got a point about Sargent Malarkey".

Speirs looked Jones up and down;

"yeah, a point".

After a few moments, Winters told the new Lieutenant;

"fine, you can go. There'll be a briefing, CP 1700".

Jones looked mighty pleased with himself;

"yes, sir".

When Jones and Vest left, Charlotte looked up from her boots.

Turning around, she faced the village across the river again.

"So, who do you have in mind to lead this thing, if not Malarkey?" Speirs asked Winters.

"Lipton is right in saying that our NCO's could use a break". He said, "however, they have the most experience and this patrol requires a lot of experience".

"Sargent Grant?"

Winters nodded slowly, "yeah…but I was thinking more along the lines of Martin".

Speirs shrugged, "either one of them is experienced enough to lead".

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte asked;

"who's Lieutenant Jones?"

Speirs almost smiled;

"he's your new Platoon leader".

Frowning, she then asked;

"what about Malark, sir?"


	42. Chapter 41

Just before five, the men from 2nd Platoon entered a room inside of CP, where the briefing would take place. Sitting down, or leaning against the wall, men waited patiently. It was five to five, they were early, but Grant wanted everyone to arrive five minutes before. Charlotte had failed to mention who was now leading the patrol, which gave the men time to speculate.

Someone suggested Lieutenant Jones;

"come on, he can't be leading". Some disagreed.

"I'm not sure what they decided". Vest mumbled.

"No way". Grant said, "not on his first day".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte looked over at Jones.

She then whispered to Grant;

"I think he can hear you".

A tiny smirk reached his lips.

"Well, do you see any other officer here?" Liebgott questioned.

Just then, Cobb, Skinny, Garcia and Alley entered the room.

Popeye was staring up at Cobb.

"What?" Cobb almost demanded.

Clearing her throat, Charlotte asked;

"nothing – just wondering why you're here?"

"They call you guys too?" Popeye further asked.

But the men from 1st Platoon ignored the question;

"so, who's in charge of this bullshit?" Alley asked instead.

A few heads turned towards Jones.

The Lieutenant straightened his spine slightly.

"No, he ain't". Grant was sticking by his answer.

Heffron then said;

"well, if he ain't it's you, Chuck". He said, "or Shifty, Mo or Lottie".

"Well, that would be better". Liebgott commented.

"Oh". She mumbled, as if suddenly remembering.

A few curious heads turned her way.

Charlotte gave her head a shake;

"I was there".

Grant blinked a few times;

"Christ, Lottie…leave us in suspense, huh?"

She didn't get the chance to answer, for Jones soon called out;

"atten-hut!"

"Jesus". Liebgott whispered under his breath, while the men inside the room got up and stood at attention. However, Winters quickly told them;

"at ease".

They went back to slouching or sitting again.

Charlotte's side was leaning against a dresser.

Walking in behind Winters and Martin, meaning they had decided to have Sargent Martin lead the patrol, which Charlotte already knew. She just forgot to mention it. With the men ready to listen, Winters began the briefing for the patrol;

"gentlemen – Lottie".

"Sir". They greeted back.

"As you can see, we've assembled sixteen of you here for this prisoner snatch tonight, 0100. Just a couple of points". Winters said, "we've secured four rubber boats to get you across the river. Lieutenant Jones here". He then gestured towards the Lieutenant, "is the ranking officer, and he'll be along as an observer. Sargent Martin, here". He gestured towards Martin, "will lead the patrol in Sargent Malarkey's place".

Charlotte frowned, when noticing the sharp glare from Martin, which was directed at Webster.

"The whole Battalion will be covering your withdrawal". Winters continued to say, "we've identified targets, we've planned fire for 'em. We hear these whistles, we open up".

Winters held up two whistles;

"so, don't blow 'em 'till you're back in the boats with your prisoners". The Captain handed them to Martin and allowed that information to sink in.

"And if the house turns out to be empty, sir?" Martin asked.

"It won't". Winters replied, "but in any case, we know it's an outpost and want it destroyed, so, you have to lay some demo on a time delay". He gave Charlotte a knowing look before he continued to tell them, "you have to move fast but carefully. Put a perimeter around the house. Once that's in place, get your rifle grenades in the first-floor window. Get your assault team in quick – okay". Winters stopped, when Martin gave him a nod, indicating that he understood. "Good. Understood". He then warned them, "remember, it's about prisoners. Don't pop the first thing that moves – clear?"

"Yes, sir".

After a moment of silence, Winters asked;

"picked your assault team?"

"Lottie, McClung, Sisk, Cobb, Garcia. And Webster, as translator. The rest of you guys, a base of fire with Sargent Grant". Martin threw Grant the whistle, who caught it. "You speak German, right, Webster?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

Martin sounded pretty pissed off at Webster for whatever reason.

"Yeah, a little bit". Webster replied.

"Good". Martin said firmly and then added kindly to Winters, "that's my teams, sir".

"Questions?" Winters asked.

"No, sir". They replied.

Just as he was about to say his final words before leaving the room, Charlotte stumbled a little and banged into the dresser she was leaning against. The noise echoed throughout the room, and she grimaced;

"so-"

But her apology was cut short when the vase on top of the dresser came crashing down on the ground. Eyes widening a little, she stared down at the broken vase. She could hear a few guys sigh, while others snorted and coughed back their laughter.

"Corporal Gallagher". Winters addressed.

Heads snapping up, she looked up at the Captain.

"Sargent Martin will hand you the charges".

"Yes, sir".

He then gave the men in the room a nod;

"good luck".

"Thank you, sir". They replied.

Martin bit back a smirk, when he looked over to Charlotte.

But was almost fully smiling, when Jones ordered;

"atten-hut!"

"As you were, carry on". Winters quickly told them, before they could stand at attention.

When the officers and Martin left the room, Liebgott muttered;

"a little German?" He briefly looked at Webster, "his German's as good as mine".

Tension filled the room then.

That was until, Charlotte sighed and looked down at the broken vase;

"guess I should clean this shit up".

**…**

Walking into the main entrance of CP, Charlotte had her helmet tucked under her arm.

She spotted Lipton first, who was lying on the couch, with a blanket over his body.

He noticed her and gave the girl a smile;

"alright there, Lottie?"

Nodding, she walked over to their 1st Sargent and sat down on the arm of the couch;

"some lads are pretty pissy with Web still". Charlotte mumbled, "think he's in our squad as well".

It was a touchy subject, bringing up the 1st squad.

After losing three good squad leaders, Charlotte was next in line to take over.

Lipton wasn't sure if she wanted that;

"he'll fit in". He assured her, "it'll take time".

"Maybe after tonight, eh?" She asked, "you know…if it goes good".

Nodding, Lipton smiled softly at her;

"probably, bud".

She didn't respond.

Charlotte had her helmet on her lap now and her eyes looked down towards it.

Fingers nervously playing with the straps, she let out a shaky sigh.

Lipton frowned;

"okay, Lottie?"

Charlotte shrugged, while her bottom lip quivered.

His frown deepened.

Lipton sat himself up and moved over to her;

"what's going on?" He asked her, "you nervous about the patrol?"

Giving her head a shake, Charlotte cleared her throat;

"nah – nah, I'm not nervous really". She mumbled, "just…I 'dunno".

"Good". He said softly, "cause the patrol is 'gonna go fine".

Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte said;

"I just feel-"

"Lip?" Winters had stepped into the main room, "have you – oh, there you are, Lottie".

Getting down from the arm of the couch, Charlotte looked up at the Captain;

"sir?"

"Johnny's got the charges for you". He told her, "he'll be around OP2 shortly".

"Alright, sir". Charlotte said.

"I heard that Malarkey is cooking you all some supper". Winters pointed out lightly, "hope it's better than the last meal".

A tiny smile reached her lips when she was reminded of Malarkey's meal inside the truck in Normandy. Everyone was there. And though it didn't smell nice inside that truck, it was nice being around friends, after the battery assault. With what they had all been through, it felt like years had gone by since that night in Normandy.

Charlotte was a Private back then.

And now, she was a Corporal, without a Sargent to assist.

When she left CP, Charlotte felt a weight being pressed onto her shoulders. Quickly making her way to OP2, Charlotte managed to avoid getting struck by German mortars and gunfire. Walking into the house, she walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom where they would sleep after the patrol.

Though, Charlotte figured she'd better catch a few hours before the patrol.

Grant was lying on the top bunk; Charlotte took the bottom bunk underneath him.

She thought her friend was asleep, until he said;

"what're you 'gonna do, Lottie?" He asked, "you're 'gonna have to lead 1st squad".

Charlotte looked up at the mattress above her.

And she didn't reply.

Grant sighed;

"come on, pal". He urged gently, "you've got this, huh? If Bill was here, he'd kick you up the ass".

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte rolled onto her side and faced the wall.

Blinking, she felt a tear roll down her face, though her voice was steady when she said;

"you think I can do it, man?"

"I do". He stressed, "Christ, Lottie – you're a Toccoa guy, of course, you can lead your squad".

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she said;

"I 'dunno". Charlotte whispered, "what if I'm like Dike?"

Grant rolled his eyes;

"Jesus, Lottie…quit crapping on yourself, huh? Jesus, you're nothing like that asshole. Think about it, huh? The three drinking buddies, all fucking Sargent's. After all the hell we've raised, we're all respectful Sargent's".

Charlotte almost snorted;

"respectful?"

Grant smiled;

"well…sure, Lottie. The new guys always look up to us, you know?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"nah…they'd look down at me – I'm too small".

Using the edge of her blanket, she wiped the tears from her face;

"should get some sleep, man".

Grant yawned;

"yeah, you're probably right, pal".

"See you in a few".

"See you then, Lottie".

**…**

After a quick nap, they walked down into the basement for supper.

The men who were apart of the patrol were already there, eating what Malarkey had cooked them and sorting out their weapons for the patrol. Making sure Jackson was sitting down with a bowl of beans, Charlotte decided to introduce herself to their new Platoon leader.

Walking up to the man, she wasn't sure whether to salute him or shake the man's hand, but Jones made that decision for her and shook Charlotte's hand;

"good to meet you, Corporal Gallagher". He greeted, "heard a lot about you".

"Good to meet you, sir".

The handshake ended and Charlotte wasn't quite sure on what to say next. But Jones filled the gap of silence with;

"at West Point, you're more or less a rumour, Corporal".

Charlotte frowned a little;

"sir?"

A smile reached his lips;

"no one could believe that a female jumped into Normandy".

"Oh". Charlotte said, getting what he meant. "Well – aye, guess it is kind of weird, eh?"

Jones continued to smile;

"weird? It's downright strange, Corporal".

Jackson shot the Lieutenant a questionable glare.

But Jones didn't see it, only Charlotte did.

"I have heard good things about you". Jones went on, "but I'm beginning to think you might be a little clumsy, Corporal".

Her eyes softened;

"some might say goofy, sir".

Jones snorted;

"goofy?"

Charlotte shrugged, "aye…I take that name to the heart, sir. It came from a good person".

Malarkey soon came over with pot and a ladle;

"Lieutenant? Lottie?" He offered the meal to them.

Jones shook his head, declining the offer of food.

"Lottie, your dish". Malarkey turned to Charlotte.

Holding out her dish, Malarkey gave her a serving of food.

Charlotte didn't look up to eating but she'd hate to seem rude in front of Malarkey.

After giving a serving to Webster, Malarkey grabbed his coffee and walked over to Jones and Charlotte.

"Are you set for tonight?" Malarkey asked the new Lieutenant.

Looking a little wide-eyed, Jones nodded;

"I'm ready".

Malarkey huffed and shook his head;

"those Krauts are 'gonna catch some hell".

"So I hear". Jones said.

The Lieutenant then added quietly;

"I'm not personally going in". And he looked a little ashamed of that.

Charlotte ended up frowning.

"It's Martin, right?" Malarkey asked, though he already knew the answer.

Jones nodded;

"Martin and McClung. I'm supposed to stay in the rear and give them cover".

"It's the best place to be". Malarkey pointed out softly.

When the Sargent walked away, Charlotte looked back at Jones;

"I remember the first time I saw some action, sir".

Jones looked at her;

"D-Day?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye…was proper wild, eh? We were walking down this railroad and these Jerry's came out with their horse and carts – supply wagons, eh? Anyway, Winters got us into position and Bill was so pent-up that he opened fire before the command was given – he was crazy, like. Never seen him look so fucking mad before…and I've seen the man going mental after drinking too much. Anyway, I can't remember much feelings wise but…I just remember all that adrenaline, eh? Was like magic. We felt like superheroes – like we all had actual wings. We used up so much damn ammo during those first two days".

"Who's Bill, Corporal?" Jones asked her quietly, "is he around?"

Charlotte shook her head, with a tiny frown;

"nah…he's in the hospital. He lost his leg in Bastogne".

"I'm sorry to hear that".

Popeye looked over at them;

"I remember that night on D-Day". He said, "that's where Bill got the name; Wild Bill".

"Wild Bill's revenge". Charlotte said quietly, with a tiny smile, "he was our old Platoon Sargent, sir". She told Jones, "great guy".

Looking back at Jones, she asked him;

"where did you grow up, sir?"

"Erie Pennsylvania". He replied, "then Dunkirk in New York".

"That's cool, sir". Charlotte said, while bringing out two cigarettes, "you smoke, sir?"

Jones nodded, "I do".

Lighting one up, she handed it to Jones, before lighting one for herself.

"What 'bout your parents, sir?" Charlotte asked him, "what'd they do?"

"Actually, my dad…he was a member of the Lafayette Escadrille".

She smiled;

"aye?"

Jones smiled back and nodded, "yeah…he fought with France during the Great War. I wanted to join the French Foreign Legion because of that".

"Wow". Charlotte looked impressed, "I heard those guys are fucking tough, man".

"They are". He confirmed, "which is why my parents prevented me from joining".

She snorted, "but they let you join the Paratroopers?"

Jones shrugged, "they figured it was safer".

"Aye, maybe". Charlotte mused, "so, like, when did you graduate?"

Jones seemed to grimace;

"D-Day".

She shrugged;

"ah, well…you're hear now, eh?" Charlotte said to him lightly, "training takes time, sir. Took me ages to learn how to read a map, fire a rifle and climb a wall". She sighed, "and everything else, eh? Like, Christ – I had never even been camping before I joined Easy".

Jones smiled, "must have been quite the shock, Corporal Gallagher".

"Aye, it was". She confirmed.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte then told him;

"eh…if you want, my pals call me Lottie?"

Jones raised an eyebrow;

"I'm your Platoon leader, not your friend".

"I know, sir". She mumbled, "just…offers there if you 'wanna use my name".

His face softened back into a smile.

Jones decided he liked Charlotte.

Webster, who was sitting on the table, smiled at Charlotte;

"hey, Lottie?"

"Aye, Web?" She asked, while looking over at him.

Webster nodded to her food;

"you should probably eat something, huh?"

Sighing, she looked down at her food;

"aye, probably". Charlotte mumbled.

Martin soon entered the basement;

"alright, helmets off". He ordered them, "nothing rattles, nothing shines".

Putting her dish down, Charlotte walked towards the Sargent.

He greeted her with a smile and a clap on the shoulder;

"feeling good, Lottie?"

"Aye, I'm alright – you?"

Martin gave her a friendly wink;

"great – got the charge for you". Reaching into his bag, he brought out the satchel charge and placed it into Charlotte's hands, "don't drop it, huh?" He joked.

"I won't". Charlotte told him, "has it been set?"

Martin nodded;

"yeah – you've just 'gotta hide it and set the timer off".

"Did George take care of it?"

"Along with an engineer". He told her, "don't worry, Lottie…it ain't 'gonna explode when we're in the building".

Charlotte snorted while tucking the charge into her musette bag;

"I wouldn't put it passed me, pal".

She then asked him;

"you got a plan going?"

"I do". Martin confirmed, "it's a solid plan".

"Aye? That's good, Johnny".

He smiled and clapped her shoulder again;

"drinks on me after this?"

"You got a stash like?"

Martin shrugged;

"I could get one".

Charlotte nodded slowly, "alright". She agreed, "but none of that weak stuff, Johnny. We're 'gonna need something a lot fucking stronger".

Clearing her throat, her face soon turned a little serious;

"eh, Johnny?" She asked, looking up at him.

Martin frowned a little;

"what's wrong?"

Charlotte cleared her throat again;

"reckon we could maybe – I 'dunno like…talk or something after?"

"Sure, Lottie". He said to her softly, "are you good?"

She sighed;

"aye…just got some stuff on my mind, eh?"

Martin knew her too well;

"Sargent position?"

"Aye, that". She mumbled, "I 'dunno, Johnny – I don't 'wanna mess shit up-"

"you ain't 'gonna". Martin cut her off softly, "you've got this, Lottie, alright? You can do this".

He then added;

"but if you 'wanna rant about it, you know I'll listen".

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"cheers, pal".

Martin tossed his arm over her shoulders;

"alright, let's eat, huh?"

Charlotte sighed;

"man…I don't think I can".

"You will". He told her, "you have to, Lottie. I need you at full strength".

Charlotte caved in;

"fine…but if I spew this back up, then that's on you, pal".

He pulled a face;

"literally or…".

Smirking, she shrugged;

"guess we'll just have to see, eh?"

Martin huffed out a chuckle;

"that's so fucking gross, Lottie".

"You're the one who's forcing me to eat, you bam-pot".


	43. Chapter 42

At one in the morning, under a full moon, the patrol began.

Getting into a rocky and rubber boat, Charlotte reached above her head and grabbed onto the rope, which they'd use to pull themselves across the cold water. With the moon guiding them, the men began to pull themselves across the river. However, around halfway across, one of the boats capsized. Skinny, Cobb and Garcia splashed into the icy water and were unable to get back onto the boat. Soaking wet, the four of them dragged themselves back onto the bank.

Charlotte then whispered to Martin;

"should put Jack and Vest with us".

He nodded, "right". He whispered back.

Reaching the other side of the river, they made their way up the bank and onto the flat fields. Getting on their stomachs, McClung and Martin led the way, with Charlotte bringing everyone up from the rear. The Germans had probably been planning a patrol, as the fields were covered in all kinds of traps, which would signal noises and alert the enemy of any movement. So, the patrol had to move very carefully and on their stomachs for the first half.

Moving up in twos, they aimed for their next source of cover.

With McClung their lead scout, the men had every confidence that he would lead them to safety each time. For like Shifty, McClung had an excellent shot and could "smell Krauts", while out on patrols. With each small rattle from a fence, while the men moved up towards a large pile of logs, Charlotte felt herself flinch from the noise. But they all made it safely behind the log pile. She was the last to reach the patrol and gave Martin the nod, that everyone had made it.

"Powers, Wynn, secure the left flank". Martin ordered them quietly, "Lieutenant, take Grant and Heffron, secure the right perimeter and the crossroads. Clear?"

When the men nodded; Martin ordered;

"security, out. Go".

When the men moved to their positions, the rest moved up closer to Martin. Charlotte, who was crouching next to Vest, could hear the firing squad run over to their positions. Rubbing the end of her nose, she waited for further orders from Martin. The OP was very close, just beyond their cover.

"Come on, let's go". Said Martin.

With McClung leading the way, the rest followed after him.

Charlotte could feel her heart thump loudly against her chest and she wondered if the Germans could hear that too. She was nervous, nervous about what was to come when inside that house. And nervous to how the enemy would react when they heard the explosion from their rifle grenade.

Squashing that fear down, Charlotte remained focused.

Soon, the men and Charlotte were leaning against the side of the house. Still at the back, Charlotte watched while Martin got his rifle grenade ready. It didn't take the Sargent very long and he was soon kneeling and aiming towards the top window. Charlotte braced herself slightly for impact. Pulling the trigger, the grenade crashed into the window.

"Jackson! Hold on!" Martin then yelled.

Frowning, Charlotte got onto her feet.

She watched her friend run up the stairs.

Quickly, Charlotte and Martin followed after him.

"Jack!" Charlotte called, "stop!"

However, Jackson tossed in his grenade through the front door and ran in after it.

Charlotte's heart stopped beating;

"Jack!" She screamed, but her screams were drowned out by the grenade, which exploded up in Jackson's face. Charlotte did manage to catch her friends scream of agony, however. Charlotte was the first to reach her friend, with Martin close behind.

Getting on her knees, she rolled Jackson onto his back to take a look at his face;

"holy shit". She whispered.

His whole face was chewed up by hot shrapnel.

Jackson had a huge gash to the side of his head; he was almost missing an eye and his throat was bleeding. Charlotte gave her head a shake; she knew this was bad. And to make matters worse, the Germans were yelling, causing the men from Easy to yell back at them. Charlotte grabbed a hold of Vest's arm;

"stay with him!" She ordered the shocked Private.

Charlotte got onto her feet and managed to sneak up the stairs.

Once on the landing, she tried to locate a place to hide the charge.

Downstairs, she could hear Martin barking out orders, while Webster yelled at the Germans. She didn't know what Webster was telling the Germans, she figured he was telling them to shut up. Charlotte almost tripped over a rug. Getting on her knees, she pushed a part of the rug to one side and found a loose slab of wood.

Grabbing her bayonet, Charlotte started to pull the slab of wood up.

Martin was eager to leave the OP quickly, seeing as they now had a man badly wounded. They had their prisoners, three to be exact and it was up to Charlotte to finish the task. She tried not to let all the yelling and shouting get the best of her, but it was difficult when she knew her friend was badly hurt, and Martin was pushing them on.

"EVERYBODY MOVES OUT ON MY COMMAND!" Martin yelled from the ground floor.

Charlotte pulled up the slab of wood and buried the charge underneath.

After setting the timer off, she placed the slab of wood over the charge and pulled the rug back. Getting onto her feet, Charlotte rushed down the stairs and gave Martin a nod;

"ready, Johnny!" She told him.

"Let's move! Move!"

Outside of the house, things were starting to heat up.

The men were still around the village, securing the perimeter. Charlotte could hear their rifle fire, along with an MG-42. The last to leave the house, Charlotte rushed down the concrete stairs and joined the back of the line, Shift and Popeye had now joined the patrol. Grant, Heffron and Jones were still securing the crossroad.

"We're falling back!" Martin yelled, "covering fire!"

Grant and Jones opened with their covering fire, allowing the patrol to move under it.

It was a great firefight, with Germans firing out from the church, barns and small houses. Charlotte was greatly surprised, that no one had been hit yet. They were getting a lot of flak from the church; which Webster was currently firing into. Charlotte crouched beside him and opened fire, while Heffron and Popeye moved up to join the others.

Charlotte could hear a familiar whistle from above them;

"shit – mortars". She mumbled.

"GO!" Jones soon screamed, "MOVE IT WEBSTER! LOTTIE LET'S GET TO THE BOATS, COME ON!"

The shell dropped onto the ground and exploded. Snow and mud spewed up and no one got hit. Taking hold of Webster's jacket, Charlotte got them both onto their feet. During their run back to the boats, the firing got more intense. No one could blow a whistle, because they weren't near the boats yet, which meant, they didn't have any covering fire to run under.

It was incredibly tense and frightening.

The run back to the boats was a very scary moment.

Mortars were pouring down on them the entire way.

Charlotte didn't even hear Jones blow the whistle and she didn't see the Battalion's covering fire. For smoke blocked her vision and the noise surrounding them deafened her. Charlotte could see Webster, who was running a few feet in front of her. It was the only confirmation she had, that she was going the right way.

It was a good thing Jones was behind her still, for a shell got in between Charlotte and Webster. She fell to the ground, Jones bumped into her and pulled Charlotte back up;

"ARE YOU HIT?!"

Shaking her head, Charlotte replied;

"NAH! I'M GRAND!"

Jones decided to keep a hold of her arm, for whatever reason. Charlotte never yanked herself free, though. She figured Jones just wanted to get her back to the boat, as any Platoon leader would hope for. He pushed her in the front though. And by the time they reached the boats, everyone was jumping it and creating chaos.

Jones practically tossed Charlotte onto one, with Ramirez and Jackson. All the while Vest was screaming;

"I'm 'gonna fucking kill you!"

Frowning, Charlotte grabbed onto Vest's arm;

"hey!" She called out firmly, "simmer down, that's enough!"

"HE'S 'GONNA FUCKING DIE!" Vest raged.

Charlotte had to keep it under control.

Though Jackson didn't look good, she refused to lose another friend.

"If you kill those prisoners, then we'll have to get more, Vest!" She said to him, "let's get Jack back to our OP and get him some help!"

Charlotte didn't think Vest heard her.

It was still too noisy, and the man was in a world of rage.

Looking towards the bank, she saw Martin pushing men into the boats.

Once they were all in, he got in one and the quick and speedy journey across the river began. Bullets were splashing in the water, even shells plummeted close to their boats. They rocked but everyone made it across the river in one piece.

With Ramirez carrying Jackson, the patrol moved down into the basement with their prisoners. Above them, the fight continued. Battalion was stilling firing out, while the Germans hit them back. It was at this point, where this got too much for Jackson. And once placed on a table lying down, he began to panic. He was squirming around, they had to hold Jackson down. Vest was still screaming and threatening to shoot their prisoners, even Heffron had joined in.

The men were going through it.

The basement was manic and disorganized. And Martin had to step out, to grab a medic, putting Jones in charge. Charlotte was standing by Jackson, holding his hand tightly.

"HE'S 'GONNA FUCKING DIE!" Cried Vest, "HE'S 'GONNA FUCKING DIE!"

"Jackson, look at me". Webster told him, "don't listen to him".

Letting go of Jackson's hand, she placed it into Webster's;

"stay with him, man". She told him, "I need to sort this shit out".

Backing away from her friend, she walked to the back of the room where the prisoners were. Heffron was yelling at them, while Vest screamed to shoot them. Charlotte moved by Shifty and Popeye. She grabbed ahold of Heffron's arm;

"stop". She ordered, "stop this, right fucking now".

Heffron clenched his jaw and looked down at her;

"they've killed him, Lottie-"

"you don't know that!" Charlotte barked out, "if you can't handle being around our prisoners, then go and help our friend!"

When Heffron stormed off, Charlotte gave Shifty a nod;

"you 'gonna be alright, Shift?"

"I'll be fine, Lottie". He assured her, "we've got McClung and Pop here".

"GODAMMIT!" Vest then screamed.

Charlotte watched, while he pulled out his gun and raced for the Germans.

"Shit – Vest!" Charlotte grabbed a hold of his arm.

But Vest was a lot stronger than her and slipped out of her grasp;

"Pop!" She yelled, "grab him!"

"HEY!" Jones was soon there, helping Popeye pulled their upset friend back.

Which in turn, got Heffron going again.

He turned back around and marched towards the prisoners;

"YOU THINK YOU'RE OUT OF THIS WAR?!

Heffron had a hold of the Germans shirt collar, while he continued to scream in his face. Charlotte moved towards him and tried to pull him back;

"Babe!" She yelled, "stop it – come on!"

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Heffron screamed, "YOU'RE ALL FUCKING SCUM!"

With Heffron screaming and Vest screaming, Charlotte wondered how she heard her name being yelled;

"Lottie! We need your help!" It was from Webster.

"Lieutenant!" Charlotte needed help, "Lieutenant! I need your help!"

Jones was there seconds after she called for him.

Quickly, he grabbed ahold of Heffron and pulled him off the prisoner.

Charlotte, knowing that Jones had Heffron under control, made her way back to Jackson, who was now sobbing;

"I don't 'wanna die! I don't 'wanna die!"

Pushing past a few of her friends, Charlotte took hold of Jackson's hand;

"hey, pal". She greeted, "hey – listen, you're 'gonna be fine-"

"I don't 'wanna die!" He continued to cry. "Lottie, I 'wanna go home!"

Nodding, Charlotte could feel her bottom lip quiver;

"you will". She said to him thickly, "you're 'gonna go home, Jack. The wars done, eh? You did it, Jack".

Jackson sobbed again;

"I 'wanna go home".

Charlotte swallowed back the lump in her throat, while her eyes filled with unleashed tears;

"man, you're going home". She told him, "eh? That's it, you get to go home now – you lucky bastard".

Jackson's grip in her hand tightened;

"I don't 'wanna die!"

Feeling helpless she looked up at Webster;

"where's doc?"

"Don't worry, he's on his way". Webster then looked towards the door, "where the fuck's the medic?!"

As if he heard them, Roe soon came barging into the basement.

They cleared a space, while the medic took a good look at Jackson's wounds. His calming presence and voice worked like magic for the first few moments and Charlotte felt a sense of relief, thinking that everything was going to be okay. People had stopped yelling, the noise outside seemed to dull down a little. And Jackson's eye stared into the small flame from a lighter, which Skinny held in front of him.

"Alright, let's get him out of here". Roe stated calmly.

The calm composure broke, while Jackson started to sob and panic once again;

"I don't 'wanna die!"

They managed to get Jackson onto a stretcher, but he began gasping for breath.

Roe had to lower him and try to calm the man down. He couldn't move Jackson when he was panicking like that. And the medic wondered if he was going into shock from blood loss or just going into shock from the pain or the thought of dying.

In reality, when going through a painful death, no one could have reacted calmly. Jackson had the time to think about it, he knew it was coming and he didn't want it to happen. He wanted to see his family again and he wanted to live a normal life outside of combat. But instead, he was panicking and dying down in a basement, while the enemy fired above them.

And when Jackson did slip away, Charlotte, Roe and a few other medics were by his side.

The room fell silent once again.

**…**

Charlotte wasn't aware of anything else.

She couldn't hear Vest sobbing, or the men sniffing and shedding tears.

Jackson's dog tags were placed into her hands, while Martin covered his body up with a blanket.

She was only aware that her friend had died.

All because of a pointless patrol.

Staring down at her friend's tags, Charlotte clenched her jaw and placed them inside her jacket. Getting onto her feet, she looked to where the prisoners were and spotted Vest, who was sobbing into his hands. Jones placed a comforting hand on the top of the man's head.

Her eyes then caught sight of Martin, who looked on the verge of tears.

Giving her friend a tiny nod, she cleared her throat;

"alright". Charlotte's voice sounded strange in the quiet room, "Sargent Martin, Lieutenant Jones and Webster will stay down here and keep an eye on the prisoners. The rest of you, help with the men outside and then return back to OP2".

No one seemed to move.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she cleared her throat;

"aye – now, please". She then added, "Vest, stay here the now".

When the basement started to clear out, the men left inside were quiet, save Vest.

Charlotte looked over at Martin;

"wasn't your fault, man".

Clenching his jaw, he looked away from her;

"no?"

Shaking her head, she mumbled;

"nah".

Looking around the room, she noticed Cobb was still there.

He was drinking a bottle of wine.

And Charlotte didn't have the strength to order him around.

Her eyes wandered back to Jackson's covered body.

She could feel her composure start to break a little.

Jackson was their good friend, a man who had been around since camp Mackall. Charlotte got up to a lot of mischief with Jackson. They'd do a lot of stupid things together, which resulted in them laughing until their stomachs would hurt. But Jackson would always look out for her and she did the same for him. They were brothers and had been in the same squad since training. It was a tough loss for Charlotte and the men of Easy.

Eyes filling with tears once again, she looked away from Jackson.

The basement remained quiet, while the men waited for the sun to rise and the firing to stop. Once it did, Martin, Jones and Webster escorted the prisoners towards CP, while Charlotte walked up to the bedroom, to check in with the men. The men were lying or sitting up in their beds, while Perconte handed some of the men coffee. Entering the room, she took off her helmet and made her way towards Perconte. Last she had heard, the man had gotten shot in the ass.

It was good to see him back with Easy.

"Hey, Lottie". Malarkey greeted quietly.

Picking up a cup, he handed it to her;

"have some coffee".

Rubbing her lips together, she stared down at the hot and dark liquid;

"no milk or sugar, no?"

Malarkey let out a forced and weak snort;

"not this time".

Looking behind her, Charlotte saw Heffron lying on his bottom bunk, staring blankly at the mattress above him – where Jackson should be resting. Swallowing back the tight feeling in her throat, she sat down by Heffron's boots, while he moved over slightly, giving her more room.

Her eyes then wandered towards her hands, which were coated in Jackson's blood.

She remained staring at the blood.

And thought of how she could have saved him.

Perhaps, if they knew how to calm Jackson down, then maybe he would still be with them.

The small bedroom was left in silence.

Until Webster and Jones returned.

"We heard you got two prisoners". Malarkey commented softly, "good work".

Looking away, Webster said;

"Jackson's dead".

"Yeah, we heard". Liebgott quietly replied.

Perconte sighed;

"yeah, well, they want another patrol tonight".

Pulling a face, her head snapped up;

"what?" She mumbled, "they want – why?"

Shaking his head, Perconte told her quietly;

"I'm not sure, Lottie".

"Does he know?" Charlotte asked, voice starting to rise, "does he know that we just lost our fucking friend?"

She was met by silence.

Shaking her head, the cup fell out of Charlotte's hand while she stood up;

"that's completely FUCKED UP!"

A few of them winced.

And Jones had the balls to calm her down;

"that's enough, Corporal".

Her eyes hardened, when they looked up at the Lieutenant;

"Jack was our friend, man". She said, "the fuck…do they even care 'bout that? Don't they realise that we're not just some fucking machines, that we're actually human!"

"Lottie, that's enough". Grant ordered while getting onto his feet.

Her sharp eyes looked over at him;

"don't fucking stick up for that shit, Chuck". She muttered, "you know this is pure fucked up. We gave them two fucking prisoners – two! Why the hell would they need more?!"

"I don't know, Lottie!" Grant snapped back, "I'm not in Regiment, am I?! How the fuck do I know what goes through their damn heads!"

Charlotte took a step towards him;

"you know why!" She yelled back, staring up at him, "they do it, 'cause they want a good fucking grade, man! They want the whole world to know, that they're the best fucking Regiment around! And we're the ones who have to suffer! They didn't know Jack, Chuck! And they don't give a shit about any of us!"

Heffron sighed;

"she's right".

Grant shot him a look;

"don't encourage her, Babe".

"Encourage me?" Charlotte pulled a face, "what the fuck, Chuck. What am I doing that so damn wrong? I'm only human, eh? Well, to my fucking knowledge I am".

"We're trying to win a war, Lottie!" Grant said, "you have to listen to people who know what they're fucking talking about, in order for us to win this damn thing. Now, do I think we need another patrol across that shitting river? No. But will I fucking do it, if it's 'gonna help us win this thing – yes! And you will as well – we all will. Cause it's our damn job. So, do your fucking job too!"

Shaking her head, Charlotte dropped her rifle onto the ground;

"fuck it!" She said, "I quit!"

"You can't quit-"

"no?" She muttered, "Buck left, right? He was sick and done with seeing his pals die or get seriously wounded, Chuck. And you know what?! So am I!"

Grant took a step towards her and grabbed her arm;

"you cannot leave your men, Lottie". He told her firmly, through gritted teeth. "You are leading 1st squad, whether you like it or not! You don't get to fucking quit – have you looked around recently? In case you failed to realise, we don't got a lot of guys left. So, quit being so damn selfish, pick up your fucking rifle and calm the fuck down".

Charlotte pulled an angry face;

"get the fuck off me, man-"

"no, you asshole!" Grant snapped, "you're not going anywhere. What do you think Bill would say, huh? You really 'wanna disappoint all these men, who you've been with since training? You 'wanna disappoint Winters? The man who taught you how to be a damn soldier? Jesus Christ, Lottie. Get your head together and think about this".

His words came crashing down, hitting her in the chest.

Charlotte's angry expression dropped.

Biting her lower lip, she looked down at her boots.

Slowly, Grant released her arm.

Clearing her throat, she gestured towards her rifle;

"I'll just take a walk then, eh?" She said, in a very quiet voice.

Malarkey picked up her rifle and handed it to Grant.

"Okay". Grant said quietly while giving Charlotte her rifle.

He knew she wasn't going to quit.

Charlotte was upset and sick of war.

They all were.

Some just handled it differently than others.

Charlotte lost it and she yelled. While Cobb drank himself silly down in the basement. And Vest cried, feeling heartbroken by losing another man. Some even lay in bed, staring blankly ahead and not knowing what to say. And while the men struggled to come to terms with death, there was always someone to pick them back up.

The Sargent's from Easy.


	44. Chapter 43

Gathered around in the same basement were the patrol from the previous night.

All equally exhausted from not sleeping, they drank coffee, smoked, played cards and waited for Speirs or Winters to brief them for their patrol that night. Charlotte was sitting next to Martin. She was staring at the table, regretting how she acted that morning towards Grant. Charlotte hadn't spoken much since then. She went for a long walk by herself and then met the patrol down in the basement. There wasn't much else to say.

"Who's got a light?" Jones asked.

"Here, sir".

Flicking his lighter, Heffron held it up towards Jones's cigarette.

Charlotte eyes moved towards her friend, who was sharing a quick smile with Martin and the Lieutenant. Webster was staring at something else, or rather, someone else.

"Whatcha looking at Webster?" Cobb slurred.

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte watched Webster quickly look away from Cobb.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, college boy". Sneered Cobb.

Shaking her head, Charlotte looked back down at the table.

However, Jones wasn't about to ignore this behaviour;

"are you drunk, trooper?" He asked the man, while turning to face him.

"Leave me alone". Came Cobb's reply.

"Answer the question". Jones ordered quietly.

Lifting his head, with red-rimmed eyes, Cobb replied;

"yes, sir, I am drunk, sir". He looked away from the Lieutenant and continued, "drunk. Sick and tired of fucking patrols. Taking orders-"

"hey, Cobb". Martin looked over at him, "shut up. It's boring, okay?"

Cobb smirked;

"taking his side, Johnny?"

Martin looked away from him;

"yeah, I am".

The room felt tense and awkward.

Charlotte didn't comment on the matter, for earlier that day, she had said roughly the same thing. Only, she hadn't been drinking.

But Cobb did say to her;

"not so self-righteous now, huh, Lottie?"

Martin turned back to face him again, only this time, he glared;

"you keep her out of your shitty drama bullshit, Cobb".

Smiling, Cobb gestured towards her;

"come on, Johnny…I thought she had grown a pair. She's sure quiet now".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte looked up at him;

"nah, man…you're right, this is shit". She mumbled, "but you're the only one getting drunk about it, eh? You shouldn't be doing that, man. You're 'gonna say shit you'll regret".

"I won't regret nothing". He hissed fiercely, "nothing, Lottie…I don't regret a single damn thing out here. You 'wanna know why? Cause if I regretted shit, then I'd be long dead".

Frowning, Charlotte shook her head;

"I see you're point, Roy. And I've always respected the hell out of you, 'cause you've done all this before, eh? But I do regret some shit". Charlotte mumbled softly, "for one, I regret losing my damn mind and yelling at my best pal".

Grant frowned and looked her way;

"I forgave you ages ago, Lottie".

She looked back at him;

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, man…it's not your fault that we're doing this all over again, you know? I just didn't know how to deal with it, eh? Cause we lost our pal and it fucking hurts, man. It always will". Charlotte said, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. "I'm grateful for the pals I have around me, but I miss the ones we've lost – I miss them a whole fucking lot. And I don't think I'll ever stop missing them".

She then looked over at Cobb;

"aye, Roy. I get it, eh? I know what you're feeling, we all do. But we have folk to lean on out here, you don't have to be feeling like shit alone, man. We all feel like shit, so, you're not alone".

Cobb slumped back against the wall and slid down until he was sitting.

He took another drink from his bottle;

"fuck this". He whispered.

With nothing left to say, Charlotte's eyes wandered back to the table.

Eventually, Cobb was removed out of the basement by Lieutenant Foley. Cobb tried to attack the Lieutenant, which resulted in him getting locked up by the MP's, where he'd receive a court-martial for trying to attack an officer. Cobb wouldn't return to Easy.

**…**

"Sarge, they're on their way". Webster informed Martin.

Martin got up;

"atten-hut!"

Everyone stood at attention, just as Winters, Speirs and Nixon walked into the basement.

"Martin". Winters greeted softly.

"Sir".

When Winters approached the men, he told them;

"at ease".

Charlotte relaxed a little and felt her shoulders drop.

"This everybody, Grant?" Winters asked.

He nodded;

"sir".

Reaching the end of the table, Winters took off his helmet;

"you all did an excellent job last night. I'm – uh – I'm proud. I'm proud. I just saw Colonel Sink, he's proud too. In fact, he's so proud he wants you to do another patrol across the river, tonight".

Biting her lower lip, Charlotte looked down at the table.

Her eyes shone with so much emotion, grief mostly. And exhaustion. All the men shared a common look. Winters could see that look in all of his men.

Winters checked his watch;

"any moment now, the outpost we hit last night will go up in flames, Martin?"

The Sargent's eyes briefly went over to Charlotte, before he answered;

"yes, sir".

"It means we'd have to venture farther into town this time. Captain Speirs, you have the map, please?"

The map was passed down to Grant, who soon placed it on the table and opened it up. The men leaned forward, to get a good look at the map. Charlotte tried her hardest to pay attention. Her eyes were looking at the map, but her mind was miles away.

"We have enemy movement, here". Winters told them, "and here. Which means this is our new house target, here. We recovered all the boats, so we'll be setting off from the same place we did last night".

"We're not changing the plan any, sir?" Martin questioned.

After a moment of silence, Winters replied;

"no, plan is the same". He said, "it will be 0200 hours instead of 0100. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir". Came their quiet response.

"Okay". Winters said, "good, because, uh…".

A few eyebrows and heads raised towards the Captain.

"I want you all to get a full night's sleep tonight".

Frowning, Charlotte slowly raised her head.

"Which means, in the morning, you will report to me that you made it across the river, into German lines, but were unable to secure any live prisoners".

Feeling her eyes sting with tears, Charlotte clenched her jaw.

"Understand?" Winters asked the men quietly.

"Yes, sir". Some of them answered brightly.

"Good". Winters folded up the map, "look sharp for tomorrow. We're moving off the line".

Charlotte might have known; Winters would have done that. That he would have put his military career on the line, to save the men risking their lives for another patrol across the river. Because if any officer would break the rules, to save his men, it would have been Winters. If the patrol was going to be pointless and risky, too risky at the end of the war, then Winters would have been the one to break the rules and save his men.

The men were of course, beyond the feelings of relief.

Some of them were near tears.

Not only did Winters scrap the patrol but they were going off the line. That was it. They were finally getting a break after all the shit they went through in the forest; they were finally getting a moment to sleep through the night, eat a hot meal and have a break from patrols and combat. It's what they needed and it's what they deserved.

Charlotte left the celebration down in the basement, just in time to see the OP she put a charge in last night, explode. Webster, who had also witnessed the explosion, smiled. Because he knew, it was finally over. Looking up at Webster, Charlotte wished she could have shared his relief and that spark of happiness. But she couldn't. Jackson wasn't there to share the same excitement and it felt wrong for her, to be happy.

Lighting up his cigarette, Webster looked down at her;

"it's over, Lottie".

Nodding slowly, she continued to stare at the destroyed house.

"It is". Charlotte whispered.

Sisk soon joined them;

"that was the house?" He asked, wondering what that huge explosion was.

"Yeah, it was the OP". Webster confirmed.

"Jesus". He whispered, "how many charges did you plant, Lottie?"

"Just one". Charlotte replied, "Luz must have made sure the house would've gone up in flames".

Sisk smiled;

"he sure likes exploding things, huh?"

The three of them headed up to CP, where Luz was busy sorting out their K Rations. Sisk got behind the counter to help him, knowing that shortly, a lot of men would be trying to grab their hands on a chocolate bar and cigarettes. Leaning against the counter with Webster, Charlotte turned to look towards Lipton, who was standing before Winters.

"1st Sargent Lipton".

"Sir".

"Your honourable discharge as an enlisted man". Winters told him, with a proud smile. "And Battlefield Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant".

"Look what we have here, boys". Luz commented softly.

Webster turned around and watched, while Lipton and Winters shook hands;

"congratulations, Carwood". Winters said.

"Thank you, sir".

The officers inside the room began to congratulate Lipton, including Welsh, who had returned to join 2nd Battalion that morning. Charlotte looked behind her and saw Luz give Lipton a smile and a nod. Luz looked proud and they all felt proud for Lipton. But it was sad to see the man go, knowing he would be transferred out of Easy to lead a Platoon. Charlotte turned back around, just in time to see Jones promoted to 1st Lieutenant. However, Jones would be working in staff up at Regiment, meaning;

"looks like you lost another Platoon leader, huh, Lottie?" Luz commented lightly.

While Webster snorted, Charlotte sighed quietly and shook her head.

"Fuck". She mumbled.

Winters eyes soon caught hers;

"Lottie, will you join me, please?"

Clearing her throat, Charlotte pushed herself off from the counter and followed the Captain further into the room, where Lipton's celebrations continued. Welsh was pouring out glasses of alcohol, while Nixon drank from his flask. Speirs, however, was sitting on top of a desk and having a quiet cigarette to himself.

Looking up at Winters, she noticed a smile was still on his face.

"Well, Lottie". He began to tell her, "I think it's only fair and right, that you take over 1st squad. You've stuck with the squad since Toccoa and it's about time, you started calling the shots. I have every confidence that you'll make a great Sargent and squad leader, Lottie. All the men do".

Reaching into his pocket, he brought out her set of three stripes.

Smiling, Winters placed the badge into her hands;

"congratulations, Sargent".

Charlotte looked down at the stripes.

It wasn't that much of a shock, Charlotte knew this moment would happen. Looking back on her previous squad leaders, she wasn't going to be as good as them. They were brilliant. Once Kiehn got back on his feet after losing Toye, Guarnere and Buck, he was great. And of course, Toye and Moe were both brilliant squad leaders too. Charlotte had three excellent leaders before her. And to her, they were both her Sargent's and her brothers.

Licking her bottom lip, she could feel a tear roll down her face.

Which thankfully, no one seemed to notice.

Charlotte's chin was almost touching her chest.

Her helmet tipped forward a little, covering her eyes.

She wasn't aware, that she hadn't said anything in over two minutes.

Even the officers behind her stopped talking and looked on curiously.

Winters tilted his head to the side.

Eventually, he crouched down in front of her, hoping to catch her face.

Charlotte looked so small at that moment, her entire body was stiff and tense. As if she was about to head off and do another patrol. And it was a little worrying for Winters, to not have her say anything in under three minutes. But Charlotte was in deep thought, which is something she rarely did. And for good reasons. When she thought back, it made her feel vulnerable and alone.

Eventually, Nixon broke the silence;

"Congratulations, kiddo".

Taking in a deep and shaky breath, Charlotte tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Usually, she could do that. But not that early evening. She could feel it in her chest, it made her head go all light like she had left her body. Hands shaking, they moved up and covered her eyes. In fact, her hands covered her entire face. Her bony fingers were exposed, she could feel warm tears press up against her skin. And, once again, Charlotte mentally told herself off, for keeping those fingerless gloves and not trying to find proper gloves.

Charlotte told herself that it was her fault, for crying over it. That she shouldn't have put so much heart into everything. That she shouldn't have relied so heavily on others, especially her squad and Guarnere. Because now, as the war came to an end, Charlotte felt herself falling into a dark hole. And the officers around her were witnessing this moment. Which wasn't ideal but Charlotte didn't have the strength to keep fighting. Not after losing Kiehn and then Jackson.

And now, she was a Sargent, supposed to lead a squad of eleven men.

But all she had left was Heffron, Eddie Joint and now, Webster.

When she breathed out next, a tiny sob followed after.

Charlotte wanted to turn around and run. But she felt glued to the spot.

"Shit". Charlotte croaked, "s-sorry".

Shaking his head, Winters placed his hand on her shoulder;

"it's okay, Lottie". He mumbled softly.

"I 'dunno what's…what's wrong with me". She cried quietly into her hands.

"Nothing, Lottie". Winters said to her, "nothing's wrong with you, buddy".

When she coughed out another quiet sob, Winters ended up pulling her into his arms. Holding onto her tightly, Charlotte ended up crying into the man's chest. With her face covered, she felt safe there. No one could see her; they could only hear her.

Her helmet fell off the side of her head and clattered on the ground.

Winters looked over the top of Charlotte's head and spotted the sombre faces of the officers. The room was very quiet, save the tiny sobs coming from Charlotte, which were muffled in Winters jacket. He gave her back a gentle rub;

"it's okay, trooper".

Charlotte choked out another small sob through a cough.

And, for around five minutes, Winters held onto her tightly and safely, until her crying calmed down. Charlotte was left with the occasional sniff and the hitching of breath. But the sobs had gone, she didn't have the energy to cry anymore. Feeling exhausted, she leaned heavily against the Captain and closed her eyes.

Winters smiled sadly;

"should probably call it a night, Lottie". He told her softly, "you didn't sleep last night".

"Aye". She croaked, "need to get ready for the imaginary patrol".

That caused a few huffs of quiet laugher among the officers.

Charlotte pulled back from the hug and reached into her pocket.

She was trying to find a tissue but couldn't find one.

Charlotte sighed;

"I think I gave them all away".

Winters eyebrow twitched;

"all of what, Lottie?"

Clearing her throat, she sniffed again;

"my tissues, sir".

Letting out a tiny sigh, Speirs soon got onto his feet.

Walking towards her, he reached into his pocket and brought out a tissue;

"you can have mine, Sargent".

Looking up at the man, Charlotte took the tissue;

"cheers, sir". She whispered.

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte then wiped her face and blew her nose.

Winters felt his lips twitch;

"better?"

"Aye, braw". She replied softly while wiping her nose. "Guess I just had a wee moment, eh?"

Winters shrugged;

"nothing wrong with that, trooper". He said.

"Bill would have kicked my teeth in, eh?"

Winters smiled softly;

"I'm not sure about that, Lottie".

Tucking the tissue into her pocket, Charlotte asked him quietly;

"do I look alright?"

Winters cleared his throat;

"uh – yeah, you look fine, Lottie".

Her lips almost twitched;

"alright, so, I look like shit, sir".

"You can hang back here for a few minutes". Winters said, "how about that?"

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, that would be grand, sir".

Giving her shoulder a squeeze, Winters soon got onto his feet.

Charlotte turned around and looked over at Lipton.

He gave her a soft smile;

"alright there, Lottie?"

Walking towards the man, she straightened herself up and saluted him.

Frowning a little, Lipton saluted her back.

She shrugged;

"wanted to be the first to salute you, sir". Charlotte whispered, "I tell you, it's 'gonna be proper weird without you, sir".

Lipton's smile saddened;

"I'm 'gonna miss ordering you all around".

"We'll miss it too, sir". She mumbled softly, "but we'll just miss you in general, eh?"

His eyes lightened;

"are you 'gonna be alright, Lottie?"

Sighing quietly, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, I will be". She assured him, "I just had a wee moment".

Though, Lipton did end up frowning again, when he saw her eyes fill with tears.

Charlotte cleared her throat and looked away from him;

"sorry". She whispered, in a brittle voice, "just been a weird few years".

A tiny laugh left Lipton;

"it has, huh?"

**…**

After a full night's sleep, the men were getting ready to leave the town and head off to Mourmelon for a rest. Charlotte tossed her bag into the back of a truck, where the rest of 2nd Platoon were currently sitting. Grant reached down for her arm and pulled her up. Sitting down on the bench, she rubbed her hands together and stared at her fingerless gloves.

Heffron smiled a little;

"you've had them since the forest".

Charlotte nodded;

"aye, I have". She whispered.

Liebgott soon reached down and helped Webster up.

"You'll never guess". Webster said, "Winters got promoted to Major".

"Bout time". Charlotte mumbled, "he's been running Battalion since Foy".

Heffron smirked;

"yeah…keep up, Web".

"Thought you went to college?" Grant added with humour.

"They didn't teach him nothing". Popeye teased.

Webster laughed;

"thanks, fellas".

Malarkey jumped onto the truck last and sat himself down next to Charlotte. Looking at her, he smiled softly;

"you ready for this rest, Sargent?"

Snorting softly, Charlotte shook her head;

"man…I can't wait". She said quietly, "we're 'gonna raise fucking hell in Paris".


	45. Chapter 44

Sitting up in her camp bed, Charlotte quickly turned towards the located sound of someone screaming. Before she could do it, someone had already turned on the oil lamp. It took her a few moments to remind herself that they were in fact, in Mourmelon and not being bombed while in their foxholes. No one inside their tent was screaming. And the twelve of them shared confused and sleepy looks towards one another.

"Who's screaming?" Grant wondered; voice thick with sleep.

"No idea". Malarkey whispered, "we should check it out".

"Lottie should". Martin mumbled into his pillow.

Charlotte pulled a face;

"why me?"

"Cause it's coming from your squads' tent".

"Not it's not". Charlotte argued but then asked, "is it?"

"I think it is". Talbert told her, "you want me to go instead?"

Letting out a tiny yawn, Charlotte shook her head;

"nah, man. It's alright". She said, while getting down from her camp bed, "I'll handle it".

Putting on her boots and jacket, Charlotte left the tent and crossed the muddy strip. The screams were coming from her squad's tent and once inside, she saw Webster and Heffron gathered around Eddie Joint. He had soon stopped screaming and his eyes were open. It seemed Eddie had one hell of a nightmare. The guy was covered head to toe in sweat. And he still looked traumatized from what he had seen inside his dream.

"Sorry, Lottie". Eddie apologised, voice croaky and hoarse.

Shaking her head, Charlotte assured him;

"you can't help it, mate".

Sitting on the edge of his bed, she looked him up and down;

"nightmares, eh? Don't worry about it, Eddie. Loads of guys are having some pretty fucked up dreams right now".

Eddie sighed, sounding tearful;

"I feel like an idiot".

Rubbing her lips together, she looked up at Heffron and Webster;

"will you's get him some water and that?" She asked, wanting to speak with Eddie alone.

"Sure, Lottie". Heffron said quietly, "no problem".

"See if you can get him sheets as well, eh?" Charlotte then added, "his are all sweaty".

When the two men left the tent, Charlotte gave Eddie a soft smile;

"you don't have to tell me what you dreamt of, man". She said to him gently, "I think I've got an idea, eh? Just wish I could stop them from haunting you".

Eddie closed his eyes;

"I feel weird, Lottie".

Frowning, Charlotte asked;

"what do you mean, Eddie?"

Giving his head a shake, he replied;

"I feel…I feel sick, you know? And weird".

"You eating enough?"

"I can't". He admitted quietly, "I can't eat nothing".

Charlotte sighed;

"man…why didn't you tell me?" She asked him, "Eddie, I'm here to help, eh? If you've got a problem, then I'll fucking help you. Don't go through this shit alone".

He sniffed;

"I don't 'wanna act all weak, Lottie". He croaked, "I ain't meant to be acting this way. I'm a damn Paratrooper".

"Eddie, you're only human". Charlotte whispered, "we all fall, bleed and shit, eh? You're not being weak and whatever you're going through, doesn't make you any less of a soldier".

She placed her hand on his shoulder;

"right here when you need anything, Eddie". Charlotte reminded him, "even if it's three in the morning and you can't sleep".

A tiny smile reached his lips as he opened his eyes;

"I'm glad they made you our squad leader".

"Well, tomorrow, it's new a day, eh?" Charlotte said to him softly, "you're 'gonna get up, eat some breakfast and we'll wear our Class A uniforms and get our Unit Citations".

Eddie nodded, while a tear rolled down his cheek;

"that's just it, Lottie". He whispered thickly, "we're getting a Citation for what we did in Bastogne. It feels weird, don't it?"

"A wee bit, man". Charlotte said to him softly, "but it's a way to honour our pals, eh?"

Reaching into her pocket, she brought out a tissue and handed it to him.

"Alright, pal". She said, "let's get you sorted".

When Charlotte left her squad's tent, Speirs was standing outside.

She jumped a little, not expecting to see the man.

Hand going over her heart, Charlotte let out a nervous sort of laugh;

"you scared me, sir".

A tiny smirk reached his lips;

"it's what I'm best at, Sargent".

Clearing her throat, she snorted;

"right…well, your talent sure frightened me, sir".

Speirs then nodded towards the tent;

"everything under control? I saw Heffron and Webster racing back and forth".

"It's fine, sir". Charlotte said quietly, "eh – Eddie just had a wee moment, eh?"

"Okay". Speirs said, "you should get back to bed, Sargent. We have an early start".

Charlotte wasn't even aware of the time;

"time is it, sir?"

"0330".

She snorted;

"braw". Charlotte said through a sigh, "guess I'll be getting up in two hours, sir".

"Yes. You will". Speirs confirmed, "are you aware of our Paris trip, Sargent?"

"Aye, sir". She replied, "sounds like a good idea".

"I've found a place for the Company to spend the night". He went on, "right in the heart of the city".

"Sounds costly".

Speirs smirked;

"I didn't have to pay anything, Sargent". He told her, "it's the perks of being a soldier. If you're really nice to the locals, I'm sure they'll give you free drinks".

Charlotte felt her lips twitch;

"suits us fine, sir". She said, "we could use a good drink".

"I've heard rumours". Speirs said, while they walked back towards Charlotte's tent, "that you plan on raising Cain, Sargent".

Charlotte shook her head innocently;

"I'll keep the lads in order, sir". She said, "don't you worry about that".

"According to Major Winters, he suggested I'd keep a close eye".

She shook her head again;

"I only got arrested once".

"Yeah, he mentioned that". Speirs mumbled, "he's coming along. Though, Captain Nixon is going with us and Lieutenant Welsh".

Charlotte felt herself smirk;

"if anyone's 'gonna be raising Cain, it's 'gonna be them, sir".

Speirs almost laughed;

"you're probably right, Sargent".

**…**

The morning after they received their Unit Citation, the men were getting ready for their trip to Paris. Speirs wanted his men to see the city and experience the French culture before the replacements arrived. Charlotte felt relieved for the short break as this was her first time training a bunch of green recruits. And she did feel a little nervous. Charlotte wanted these men to take her seriously. She hoped her gender wouldn't get in the way.

Getting three men from her squad ready was a piece of cake.

Once they were settled into their bus, Charlotte joined the NCO's and the officers on the other bus. Grant and Martin took the back seats, meaning Charlotte was sitting in the back of the bus with them. Passing Winters, Speirs, Lipton and the other officers, she made her way towards the back and sat herself down.

Martin had a bottle of vodka hidden in his jacket;

"we're starting early". He told her lowly, "it's five o'clock somewhere, right?"

Charlotte grinned;

"this is why we're pals, Johnny".

Talbert and Malarkey sat in front of them.

Malarkey turned around to face them;

"what's that you've got, Johnny?"

"Vodka – it's Polish". He said, "you want a drink?"

Malarkey shook his head;

"no, it's only eight".

"Suit yourself".

When the bus roared to life, Martin unscrewed the bottle;

"we're raising hell for you, Bill". He said, before taking a drink.

Charlotte took a drink next. Pulling a face, with a tiny shudder, she handed the bottle to Grant. The three of them shared the bottle of vodka while talking about what they were going to do in Paris. Charlotte wasn't interested in seeing any of the sights, she was mainly focused on finding a pub and having a good time with her friends. Martin and Grant shared the same idea. And they were sure Heffron was up for having a good time too.

While some men decided to catch-up on sleep, others watched out of the window. The view was partly destroyed villages from war or fields. It was relaxing for some, especially those nearer the front of the bus because for those who were close to the back, they couldn't possibly relax. Grant, Martin and Charlotte were being loud. They were either yelling, laughing or singing. It wasn't just a bottle of vodka they were sharing; Grant had also brought whiskey onboard. He had been saving it for the hotel but caved in, when Martin and Charlotte urged him to open the bottle now.

"We got something to eat?" Grant asked loudly.

"Nope". Martin replied, "eating is for the weak, Chuck. We eat, we sober up".

Charlotte giggled;

"yeah…".

Grinning, Martin looked down at Charlotte;

"hey…hey…where's the music?"

Charlotte shrugged one shoulder.

And then yelled;

"where's the music!"

Talbert turned around to face them;

"come on". He said, "keep it down, huh? We're trying to sleep".

Grant smiled;

"sorry 1st Sargent – you want a drink?"

"No". He said, "it's only been one hour…how are you this drunk?"

"We're fine". Martin assured him, "point me a Kraut and watch me shoot it".

Talbert felt his lips twitch;

"Johnny, I wouldn't give your drunken ass a loaded anything".

Grant whistled;

"that's an insult".

"It is". Talbert confirmed, "you three 'gonna stop drinking now, huh? Save the rest for Paris".

Martin held up the empty bottle of vodka and he laughed;

"sure, Tab".

The bus was long, with around fifty seats. Up the front, the officers sat and talked among each other and couldn't seem to hear the three drunk troopers in the back from the loud engine. So, when Grant ended up knocking his whiskey to the ground and the glass smashed, the only heads which turned, were of the men who were close to the back. No one reacted much, save Popeye, who laughed along with Shifty. Martin, of course, was devastated;

"Chuck!" He exclaimed, "what the hell are we 'gonna drink now?!"

Grant sighed;

"that's annoying". He mumbled, "do they have whiskey in Paris?"

"Probably". Shifty told him, with a grin still on his face.

Talbert shook his head;

"the three of you are damn lightweights".

His eyes then looked over towards Charlotte, who was being far too quiet.

She was trying to sit still, glassy eyes looking straight ahead.

Talbert sighed;

"dammit".

"What?" Malarkey mumbled next to him, who was still trying to sleep.

"She's 'gonna fucking puke that's what".

Grant pulled a face;

"who?"

Talbert raised his eyebrow;

"how many fucking female Paratroopers do you know on this bus, Chuck?"

Getting onto his feet, the 1st Sargent raced down the strip.

Grant shrugged, while he looked at Charlotte;

"what's going on, Lottie?"

Charlotte didn't respond.

"I don't think she ate breakfast". Martin commented, "she's probably fucked".

Grant grabbed her wrist;

"she's alive-"

"of course, she's alive!" Martin stressed, "she's breathing, Chuck".

Grant gave him a tiny glare;

"I was only being a good friend, Johnny".

Malarkey shook his head and turned around to face them;

"you shouldn't let her drink damn vodka on an empty stomach". He scolded them both, "look, I know you 'wanna raise hell and have a good time but come on…ain't you learned from last time?"

It was a little frightening, to see Captain Speirs march towards the three drunk troopers. Though, his eyes were set on Charlotte, who was slowly swaying back and forth. When the bus came to a sudden stop, Speirs grabbed Charlotte's arm and hoisted her onto her feet.

"You want me to handle this, sir?" Talbert offered.

Speirs shook his head;

"nope. I've got it". He sounded pissed.

Charlotte was having a hard time walking, she didn't notice Winters cross look, while Speirs practically carried her out of the bus. Once outside in the fresh air, Charlotte wondered what was going on. Speirs was standing a few feet away from her, while she looked around confused. The bus holding the rest of Easy parked behind them. No one got off the bus. Except for the driver, who was probably wondering why they stopped.

"Why have we stopped, boss?" He called over to Speirs.

The Captain nodded towards the girl;

"she's sick". He called back, "won't be a moment".

He driver sighed;

"alright, boss".

Speirs looked back at Charlotte;

"we've 'gotta be quick, Sargent. I 'wanna reach Paris within the next hour".

Charlotte looked up at him;

"I'm not sick".

"No?"

She shook her head;

"I don't get sick with the drink – I don't whitey, sir".

Raising an eyebrow, Speirs said;

"so, if we get back on that bus, then you're 'gonna be fine?"

Charlotte nodded, with a light smile;

"of course, sir". She assured him, "I'm Scottish, eh? We can handle our drink".

"You wouldn't lie to me now?"

She shook her head;

"never, sir".

Speirs eyed her up and down;

"you don't look good, Sargent".

Charlotte shrugged;

"I feel grand". She said, with a little sway, "I mean…I'm not even that drunk, sir".

The Captain took her word for it and they entered the bus once again. Only this time, Speirs split her up from Grant and Martin. Charlotte was forced to sit at the front. Martin and Grant, both being drunk, were gutted that Charlotte was made to sit in the front. As was Charlotte. Leaning to the side, she gave her friends a sad look.

Speirs grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back;

"sit normally, Sargent".

"My pals miss me, sir". She mumbled.

"They'll see you when we reach Paris". Speirs told her, "in the meantime, try and get some sleep. Once we reach Paris, I've planned for us to see the Eiffel Tower".

Charlotte groaned;

"is that near a pub, sir?"

"Sargent, you don't need any more alcohol". He said, "what you need, is something to eat and a big drink of coffee".

"Sir, I've seen the Tower". Charlotte told him.

"Really, when?"

She shrugged, "in a magazine". Charlotte said, "it's big, metal and aye – it's a tower, eh?"

Shaking his head, Speirs leaned against the window;

"get some rest, Sargent".

**…**

Charlotte woke up the next morning in a bed she couldn't remember getting into.

She could hear Martin snoring and Grant breathing loudly next to her.

Running a hand down her face, Charlotte stared up at the dark ceiling and tried to remember what happened after the journey into Paris. Everything came up blank, she couldn't even remember getting off the bus. But she was paying for it that morning; Charlotte felt horrible.

And, not wanting to suffer from this alone, she gave Grant's arm a shove;

"Chuck". She croaked.

He hummed in response.

"I feel sick". Charlotte mumbled.

After a few moments of not saying anything, Grant sighed;

"alright". He said, voice hoarse, "let's go to the bathroom".

Charlotte didn't question how the pair of them ended up sleeping next to each other. They were fully clothed, and Charlotte could trust her drunk self, not to make any more stupid mistakes. The tattoo was enough, she wasn't willing to change her sexual preference.

Getting up very carefully, Charlotte could feel her stomach turn.

Hand going over her mouth, Grant manhandled her into the bathroom. Turning on the light, he lifted the toilet seat lid. But while he was doing that, Charlotte retched and ended up vomiting on the floor. Grant sighed;

"fuck it". He mumbled.

Grabbing her arm, Grant got her onto her knees and in front of the toilet.

Charlotte spent the next ten or so minutes vomiting, crying and praying into the toilet, all the while Grant rubbed her back and tried to calm her down. Her retching had woken Martin up, who stumbled into the bathroom with a long sigh;

"Christ".

"Yup". Grant mumbled, "let's take a break from drinking".

"Good idea". Martin croaked, "she need anything?"

Grant nodded towards the floor;

"clean that up?"

Martin pulled a face;

"why me?"

"I'm busy here, Johnny".

It didn't take long for Martin to cave-in, though he wasn't very happy about it.

By the time he had finished mopping the floor, Charlotte stopped puking her brains out. She still leaned over the toilet, letting out quiet whimpers and sniffles. Grant continued to rub her back;

"you did good, Lottie". He said, not sure on what else to say. "Huh? You got the rest in the shitter. Well done".

Martin's nose twitched;

"yeah…it's all cleaned now, Lottie".

Their hotel room door opened;

"guys?"

Malarkey called into the empty room;

"where are you?"

"In here!" Martin called back.

Entering the bathroom, Malarkey snorted;

"well…that's one stinking hangover, huh?"

"You're telling me". Grant mumbled, "what's the plans for today?"

"Nothing". Malarkey said, "we're getting the bus back soon. When the three of you passed out, we all went out for dinner and then had a drink at the bar".

"When did we pass out?" Martin questioned.

"When we checked in". Malarkey replied with a smirk, "Tab came up to get the three of you, but you were all sleeping like babies".

Grant sighed;

"that's embarrassing".

Malarkey laughed, "yeah – it is". He agreed, "anyway…you've got twenty minutes. We're leaving after breakfast".

At the mention of food, Charlotte whimpered and started to vomit again.

Grant winced out of sympathy;

"there, there, Lottie". He cooed, "you don't 'gotta eat a damn thing".

Charlotte was never drinking again.

She had ruined her stomach.

Charlotte spent the next twenty minutes in the bathroom, where she felt safe. But her twenty minutes were up, and she had to climb aboard the bus with the rest of the men. Charlotte sat down on the seat by the aisle, while Roe took the window seat. For some reason, she felt a little better sitting next to their medic. And Roe was still at the front, meaning it wasn't as bumpy as sitting in the back. Charlotte hoped her stomach would behave itself for the next two to three hours.

Luckily for Charlotte, she slept.

And when she opened her eyes, they were back at camp.

It was a Paris trip she'd never remember but wished she would have.

Her time in Paris ended, as soon as they reached the city.

But at least she had a laugh along the way.


	46. Chapter 45

Waking up in a house, with walls, a roof and a working toilet, Charlotte let out a content sigh.

Life in Germany was peaceful and homely. The men lived in houses, with sheets, beds, indoor plumbing and heating. They'd hang their jackets up, take off their boots after their working day and make some supper. The men typically stayed in houses with their squads, with CP in a large and pricey hotel across the road.

Charlotte shared a house with other Sargent's from Easy.

Whoever got off duty first, had to make the supper. And whoever was off duty that day, had to clean the house. It was like living with a bunch of roommates. Who were always eager for a game of cards, a drink and of course, the local women.

Getting out of bed, Charlotte stretched her arms above her head.

Leaving the bedroom, she walked over to the bathroom and tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Sighing quietly, she knocked;

"who's in?"

"Me". Grant replied, "what'd you want, Lottie?"

Charlotte checked her watch;

"I've got to be out the house in ten minutes, man".

"I'm in the bath, Lottie".

She shrugged, "I won't look".

After a few moments, Grant replied;

"alright…you can come in".

The bathtub was close to the door. Grant managed to reach over and unlock it for her, without leaving the water. Charlotte walked into the bathroom and headed for the sink, turning on the taps she grabbed a bar of soap.

"What'd you think, Lottie?"

Frowning, she looked into the mirror.

Grant was grinning.

And he was covered in bubbles.

Charlotte huffed out a laugh;

"you're fucking mad, Chuck".

"Did you see that gal I had around last night?"

Charlotte rubbed the soap over her face;

"aye, I did". She mumbled, "we share the same room, Chuck".

"She was a dream". Grant sighed in content, "tall…blonde…legs for days".

He then added;

"I can't remember her name, but it sure felt nice when she screamed mine".

Charlotte snorted;

"fuck sake, man". She muttered, "I don't need to be knowing that".

She decided to change the topic;

"Captain Nixon's coming back today apparently". She said, "imagine that, eh? The only lad from the 101st to jump into the Rhineland".

"We'll get Berlin". Grant pointed out lightly.

Charlotte placed the towel between her knees before closing her eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, she cupped the water in her hands and started to wash the soap away from her face. Grant watched her with an amused grin;

"Christ, Lottie…you've faced damn Krauts and you're scared of getting soap in your eyes?"

Charlotte reached down for the towel but couldn't find it.

With her eyes still closed and face dripping wet, she got onto her knees and tried to locate the towel. All the while, Grant laughed at her.

"Shut up". She mumbled.

The soapy water dripped into her mouth; Charlotte coughed;

"I'm a mess".

"You are". Grant agreed through a laugh, "you need a hand?"

She found the towel, or, what she thought was a towel.

Charlotte didn't care, she used the fabric to dry her face.

Grant stopped laughing and suddenly went quiet.

Shuddering, she blew the soap out from her nose before looking over at Grant;

"piece of piss".

"You might need to wash your face again". He told her.

Frowning, she then looked down at the "towel" and let out a gasp.

"Fucking Christ!" She exclaimed, dropping Grant's underwear.

Grant started laughing again, while Charlotte got back onto her feet and washed her face.

**…**

She put Webster and one of their new replacements, Janovec on outpost duty.

Heffron was sleeping off a hangover and Charlotte, having been there before, felt sorry for the guy. They did hit the alcohol pretty hard last night; Charlotte was surprised she hadn't been struck down by a terrible hangover. But she figured she was used to drinking hard by now.

Leaving her squad's house with a box of fancy possessions in her hands, Charlotte crossed the road and headed into the hotel. It wasn't a busy place that morning and finding Speirs was easy enough. The man was sitting in the reception room, looking over a map with Talbert. Walking towards the pair of them, she placed the box onto a coffee table.

Speirs looked over at her;

"those for me, Sargent?"

Charlotte nodded;

"they are, sir". She confirmed, "I had Jan keep an eye on them last night".

The Captain smiled;

"good – is everything still there?"

"Should be". She replied, "don't think anyone's daft enough to steal".

Talbert hid a snort.

Speirs looked into the box and nodded slowly;

"everything looks to be there – good job, Sargent".

"Did you get the other box, sir?"

"I did". Speirs confirmed, "I picked the box up from Private Janovec's room this morning".

The way he said that, gave Charlotte a small amount of dread;

"oh?" She practically squeaked.

Speirs crossed his arms and looked down at her;

"is your Private aware of our rules, Sargent Gallagher?"

"Eh – aye, sir". Charlotte assured him, "not to shoot the locals…or cross the river without-"

"nope, not those rules, Sargent".

Pulling a thoughtful frown, Charlotte eventually shook her head;

"nah, sir – I can't think of-"

"no fraternizing with the locals". Speirs reminded her firmly, "I hate to be graphic, Sargent Gallagher. But I'm afraid I found Private Janovec doing just that this morning".

Rubbing the back of her neck, she asked;

"doing what, sir?"

Speirs sighed;

"fraternizing with the – he was in bed with a German girl, Sargent".

A smile reached her lips;

"aye? Christ…I thought the kid was a virgin".

Talbert huffed out a laugh, while Speirs sighed again;

"give him a warning, Sargent". He ordered her, "no girls in the barracks".

Giving the man a nod, Charlotte assured him;

"oh, aye, sir". She said, "he'll get a pure big warning from me, eh? I'll tell him off".

"Good". Speirs said, "well, if that's all then-"

"I'll take away his beer". Charlotte continued, "and, I'll make him scrub that damn toilet. Not with good cleaning supplies, eh? I'll get him to use our shitty army soap…aye…and then, I'll put him on OP duty for four hours, not two. And he'll have to sit there and think 'bout what he's done. Mind you, it'll probably give him the biggest grin but however…he'll be proper gutted that he's being punished for having s-"

"that's plenty, Sargent". Speirs cut her off, "you're dismissed".

Giving him a smile, Charlotte saluted the Captain;

"see you around, sir – see you, Tab".

Talbert grinned;

"bye, Lottie".

Charlotte left the reception room with a plan to let Janovec off lightly. She couldn't spend five minutes yelling at the kid. She was about to head for the entrance, when the sound of bottles thumping against a table caught her attention, with a voice to follow after;

"got a visit from Colonel Sink this morning".

It was Winters.

Pursing her lips together, she leaned towards the dining-room door.

"Hmm?" Came Nixon's reply. "And how is the good Colonel?"

"Concerned". Winters said to him.

Charlotte frowned a little.

"Still drinking nothing but the Vat 69, huh?" Winters pointed out softly.

"Only the finest for Mrs Nixon's baby boy". Nixon remarked.

"That a problem up at Regiment?"

"What, this?" Nixon asked.

Charlotte could only assume he was meaning the whiskey.

"Is that what he said?" Nixon asked again. "No, I just don't like it up there".

"Good. So, you'll be happy to hear that Sink is transferring you back down to Battalion S-3".

Silence went by.

With only the sound coming from the crackling fire.

"What do you think I should write to these parents, Dick?" Nixon asked him quietly.

Charlotte frowned again, wondering what he was talking about.

"Hear what I said, Nix? You've been demoted". Winters reminded him.

"Yeah. Demoted – got you". Nixon didn't sound too bothered, "cause I don't know how to tell them, their kids never even made it out of the Goddamn plane".

Charlotte placed a hand over her mouth.

"You tell 'em, what you always tell 'em". Winters said softly, "their sons died as heroes".

"You really still believe that?"

After a moment of silence, Winters replied;

"yeah. Yeah, I do…don't you?"

Charlotte left the hotel feeling bad about Nixon. He was obviously going through a rough time and she felt it best to cheer him up. Patting down her jacket for cigarettes, Charlotte then made her way to the post-office, where Vest handled all the outgoing and incoming mail. Vest was a little surprised to see her, seeing as she hadn't made one trip to the office.

"Lottie". He smiled, "what can I do for you?"

Shrugging, she walked towards the counter;

"you're well good at getting things and having stuff, eh?"

"Well, those are just rumours, kid". Vest told her, while tapping his nose. "What've you got in mind? Maybe I can help you out, huh?"

"You got paper and colouring pencils?"

Vest blinked a few times;

"what?"

She shrugged;

"I need to draw a picture, eh?" Charlotte said, "mind you, I'm shite at drawing but I'll give it my best".

Vest huffed out a laugh;

"are you…are you really that board out here, Lottie?"

"Aw, I'm not 'gonna be telling you the reason". She said, "you'll have a great time laughing at me. So, how about I give you a pack of cigarettes in exchange for a piece of paper and colouring pencils?"

"I don't 'gotta ask questions". Vest mumbled, "but I'll get you what you need, kid. Leave it up to me, huh?"

Charlotte placed the packet of cigarettes onto the counter;

"I'll give you another one if you can get something else for me?"

Vest picked up the packet of cigarettes;

"what else do you need, Sarge?"

Charlotte leaned in closer;

"Van 69".

Vest whistled;

"yeah? That's 'gonna be hard to come by".

Charlotte shook her head;

"all's I need, is for you to get the lads to pick it up. Leave the rest to me".

He frowned;

"where?"

She shrugged;

"where all the mail gets picked up, man". Charlotte mumbled, "now, I'm 'gonna be writing a letter with money attached to it". She told him, "can you mail this out today?"

"Where's it going?"

She smiled;

"bonnie old Scotland, pal".

Charlotte left the post office, just as Nixon had started to give the "current events" lecture. She sat on a chair next to Grant, who ended up smirking when he saw her. Grant obviously still found the face washing incident funny.

It was a lovely sunny day; the lecture was taking place outside.

"The co-operative for American remittance to Europe, or care, has begun assembling food packages Stateside to assist those European families in dire need. Which is presumably all of them. So – uh – notes home to your family reminding them to donate whatever they can, would be much appreciated".

Grant placed two glasses onto the table and brought out a bottle of wine.

Frowning, Charlotte watched as he began to pour the wine out.

Nixon continued;

"I'm sure that you'll be happy to know Oklahoma's still playing on Broadway".

The men of Easy all cheered before Luz broke out into song. The rest of Easy joined in. Charlotte didn't know the song, so, she grabbed the glass of wine instead, watching while Nixon conducted the men's singing.

"Right behind the rain!"

One of the men sang.

Luz had apparently cut the rest of the men off, so, the replacement was left singing by himself. Charlotte snorted into her wine. While the men laughed.

"O'Keefe, were you sitting on your bayonet there?" Christenson joked. "Why don't you leave the singing to Luz?"

"Hey, unless you 'wanna do like, Surrey with the fringe on top, O'Keefe?" Luz added.

Nixon then groaned;

"Rita Hayworth's getting married".

"Oh, Rita, say it isn't true!" Luz cried out.

Charlotte took a drink of her wine.

But she promptly spat it back out;

"the fuck, Chuck?" She mumbled.

Pulling a face, Grant looked at her;

"what?"

"It tastes like cat piss, man".

"Wartime news". Nixon announced, "resistance in the Ruhr pocket's crumbling. It looks like there might be a breakout in Remagen. Apparently, the Krauts forgot to blow up one of their bridges when they headed back over the line. I guess the boys in the 17th Airborne did okay after all".

"Ah, forget it". Luz said, "we'd be in Berlin by now, sir, if it was us instead of them, huh?"

"That's right!" The men cheered in agreement.

An hour or two after the lecture, Charlotte was handed a few sheets of plain paper and the colouring pencils from Vest. Once she placed two men on outpost duty, Charlotte made her way back to the house and got to work. Sitting at the kitchen table, she began to draw out a stick figure of herself, Grant and Guarnere. The stick figures had sad frowns in the first sketch, both locked behind a cell. On the next sketch, they were both smiling, when a stick figure Nixon came around to bail them out. In big letters, Charlotte wrote;

"cheers for busting us out, sir. You legend!"

It was stupid. But Charlotte laughed, while drawing everything out. And she had a feeling, Nixon would like the sketch. If he had a stupid sense of humour, he might even laugh. Folding her picture/card up, Charlotte placed it neatly into her pocket.

She heard the front door open.

Martin and Malarkey were back.

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte grabbed the colouring pencils, got down from the chair and shoved them into a random drawer. As soon as that door closed, Malarkey and Martin walked into the kitchen.

"Alright, Lottie?" Martin greeted, "did you hear?"

Frowning, she shook her head.

Malarkey sighed;

"Presidents dead".

Charlotte's eyes widened;

"aye?"

Martin nodded;

"yeah…we're 'gonna have a quiet drink tonight. You in?"

"Of course, man". Charlotte told him softly, "Malark? You got that radio working?"

That got him to smile;

"I did, Lottie". He told her, "just 'gotta find a good channel".

Charlotte nodded;

"great – I've 'gotta get going". She said, "you seen Web anywhere? Need him for this".

"Try your squad's house". Martin told her, "where you going?"

"I have a hunch, eh?" Charlotte said to him lowly, "I saw this weird fucking house in the woods".

"What? That little shed?" Malarkey pulled a face, "Lottie, it's nothing".

"Nah – not nothing, Malark". She argued softly, "cause the curtains are shut now, eh? Someone's obviously living there".

The two of them stared at her, as if she had just said;

"the grass is green".

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte sighed;

"aye…whatever – look, stop giving me that look, eh? I'm 'gonna grab a few guys and check it out".

Martin smirked;

"you be careful out there, huh?"

Malarkey laughed;

"yeah…don't get hurt now". He teased.

Leaving her laughing friends behind, Charlotte crossed the road and headed into the hotel. Walking up the stairs, she knocked on a door.

"Yeah?"

Charlotte grabbed the handle and walked inside the room.

Speirs and Winters were going over a large map, pointing out places which Easy had already cleared since arriving in Struzelberg. But Charlotte was convinced, she had found something else. Closing the door behind her, she saluted the two officers.

"Lottie". Winters greeted quietly, "what brings you here?"

"Someone's living in that wee house, sir".

She was met by silence.

Until Speirs cleared his throat;

"great – a house is meant to be lived in".

Biting her lip, Charlotte further explained;

"I saw that house two days ago, sir". She said, "the curtains were open, right? And now, they're closed, and they're still closed". Charlotte told him, "that smells a bit fishy to me, sir".

"Maybe they want some privacy, Sargent". Speirs said, "because people like you, keep on peeking into their house".

Winters, however, seemed to catch on;

"it's worth checking out". He murmured.

Sighing quietly, Speirs nodded;

"okay, Sargent". He said, "take a few guys and check it out. Then report back here".

**…**

Charlotte brought along Webster, Heffron and Eddie.

The four of them were a few feet away from the small cabin in the woods. Charlotte was in the front of the men, staring at the window. The curtains were still closed. And it was in the middle of the afternoon, which she found strange. Not having a better way of handling this, she took Webster up to the cabin and kept Heffron and Eddie a few feet away, machine-gun at the ready in case it turned into an attack.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Charlotte approached the door and heard footsteps coming from inside. She knocked on the door and things went quiet. As if the person inside had disappeared. Biting her lower lip, she knocked on the door again. A few moments later, the door opened, and a man was standing there.

Webster gave the man a friendly smile.

"Web, tell him we were concerned". Charlotte ordered her friend quietly, "and that he's not in any trouble. We were just wondering who lived here".

While Webster translated for Charlotte, she managed to find a small gap between the man and the hallway. There, she could see another man inside the house. He was trying to hide behind a chair, but Charlotte could see the top of his head and shoulders.

"Ask him if he's alone". She then told Webster.

A few moments later, Webster told her;

"he's alone".

Charlotte held up her rifle.

Webster's eyes widened;

"Lottie?"

"He's lying". She said, "he's not alone – his pals behind the chair".

Nodding, Webster ordered the man to raise his hands, while Charlotte walked into the cabin. The man behind the chair immediately stood up, with his hands in the air.

"Search him, Web". Charlotte said, "bring Babe and Eddie up".

With Webster and Eddie keeping an eye on the two Germans, Heffron and Charlotte explored the shed. There, they found a radio, binoculars and a map. Positions were marked down, positions where Easy and 2nd Battalion were staying. Heffron found himself a nice pistol to keep, while Charlotte gathered up the rest of the two German's belongings.

"Ask him if there's anyone else, Web". Charlotte ordered while walking with Heffron back into the living area. The two Germans were pinned up against a wall, standing with their hands in the air.

"There isn't". Webster told her, "he said it's just the two of them".

"Alright, ask him who he's been talking to over the radio?"

Of course, the Germans wouldn't give that information away.

And it wasn't Charlotte's job to interrogate the enemy.

"They could have us pinned down". She mumbled, "who knows who they've been talking with".

"What do we do?" Heffron asked, "send them up?"

"Aye". Charlotte replied, "Regiment will want them".

"We've got outposts surrounding this place". Eddie said, "no one can get in, Lottie".

She looked the Germans up and down;

"they're not soldiers". She mumbled, "they've not armed themselves. Their weapons were inside drawers".

"Let's see what Regiment can get out of them". Webster muttered.

With the prisoners securely in Regiment's hold, Charlotte had a tiny smug smile on her lips. Speirs ended up saying;

"okay, good job, Sargent". He then added, "wipe that damn smile off your face".

Charlotte chuckled quietly;

"sorry, sir".

Reaching into her pockets, Charlotte held the picture in her hands.

"Major Winters?"

The setting sun shone behind them. It had been a long and semi-interesting day in Germany. Charlotte stood on the steps, leading up to the hotel, with Speirs and Winters. Behind the hotel, the two German prisoners were being placed into the back of a sealed truck.

Winters looked down at Charlotte;

"yeah, Lottie?"

"Can you give this to Captain Nixon, sir?"

Looking mildly confused, Winters took the piece of paper;

"alright, Lottie".

At the end of the day, Charlotte walked into the house, took off her boots and placed her jacket onto a peg on the wall. She sniffed the air and her stomach rumbled; someone was cooking. Walking into the kitchen, Grant was cooking. Martin, Malarkey and Popeye were sitting at the table.

Charlotte sighed in content;

It felt good to be home.


	47. Chapter 46

Stopping at the back of a truck, Charlotte handed Grant another bag.

Easy was on the move once again, heading out to Bavaria.

Like most cases, Charlotte had no idea where that was. Only that it was somewhere with snow-capped mountains and packed with beautiful scenery. Some of the German locals were standing on the pavements, watching the men load up and leave the quaint town. Charlotte didn't have a problem with the locals. The Germans were pleasant enough, they didn't cause the Americans much bother. In fact, the Germans mostly stayed out of their way.

Three hundred thousand German's surrendered that morning.

The war in Europe was coming to an end.

It was a strange feeling, not having to worry about contact patrols or getting shelled. They could walk with a little bit of ease now, though, the men were still careful. They all wanted to get back home and start a new life without the war. Charlotte wanted that too, but she would miss these men. She'd miss them a hell of a lot.

Charlotte remembered walking into the muddy grounds of camp Toccoa and getting the shock of her life when the men were sorted into green tents. At that point, she had never slept outside in a tent or a hole in the ground. Back then, she had her dad and a home back in Lancaster. She was turning eighteen when she joined the army and now, Charlotte was twenty and a Sargent.

Grant pulled her up onto the truck.

She sat there, with twenty or so men from 2nd Platoon. And they rolled out of that German town singing loudly and finally feeling relieved, that the war here was ending. And they had survived.

Reaching into her pocket, Charlotte brought out a letter;

"it's from Bill". She announced to the men, "you lads 'wanna hear it?"

The men sitting around her nodded, while they settled down to listen.

Charlotte cleared her throat;

_ "Lottie, _

_ I fucking knew that ass would freeze. I fucking knew it. But at least you got Speirs, huh? He may be a nut but he's a nut you can rely on. Christ, Lottie, that kids as crazy as me! Don't listen to those stories, Lottie. I mean, they're probably all true. But you just don't 'gotta accept a smoke off the guy, you know? _

_ Joe's getting there, Lottie. He's had four surgeries so far and he's getting one more. The guy don't think he'll make it but you know, Joe. He's always bouncing back. Kid wouldn't stay six feet under for one second. Joe's missing the fellas. And he hopes the squads doing alright. Johnny told me you've taken over the squad, Lottie. Christ, ain't I just fucking proud. The baby has grown up, huh? Joe's proud too, Lottie. He knows you'll keep on top of things. You got this, pal. If a guy from South Philly can run a whole damn Platoon, then you can lead eleven guys. _

_ Don't worry about old Gonorrhoea, I'm doing peachy. I'm back in the States now. My family came by to see me and didn't they just get the shock of their lives. I never told them I lost my leg, Lottie. But you was right about Frannie. She still wants to marry me. Only, her family ain't so keen for their daughter to marry a cripple. Fuck them, huh? Me and Frannie 'wanna get married and start our damn family. And you'd better believe, we're calling all our kids Lottie. _

_ Alright, Lottie. I miss you too, huh? When you get home, come and see me. And bring some of the fellas down too. We'll have that drink. Love you, asshole. And I ain't telling you who Tertius is, you've 'gotta ask the Captain that one. _

_ I'm closing this, Lottie. I'll see you soon. _

_ Your best pal, _

_ Big Billie". _

Charlotte didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the ending.

So, she did a mixture of both;

"he's still fucking crazy". She choked out, while wiping her eyes.

Grant tossed his arm around her shoulders;

"he hasn't changed, huh?"

Malarkey smiled, "we sure miss him".

Sniffing, Charlotte placed the letter neatly in her pocket.

Clearing her throat, she wiped her eyes again.

The subject moved onto home, seeing as Guarnere and Toye were back at the States. The men discussed their plans, their futures when the war ended. Charlotte's plan was simple. She'd head back to Lancaster with Winters, stay there for a while and then hopefully, go back to college. Only this time, she wanted to study engineering. Most of the guys wanted to go back to college or get their old jobs back. But as a whole, they all wanted to get married and start a family. Charlotte could see a lot of wedding invitations in the near future.

"You 'wanna get hitched?" Grant asked Charlotte, with a tiny smirk.

She huffed out a laugh;

"nah, man". She said, "I'm never getting married".

"Come on, really?" Heffron asked her, "you could find a good guy, Lottie".

Charlotte shook her head;

"I just 'wanna study and see what happens next, eh?"

"Fair enough". Grant shrugged, "didn't take you as a marrying type anyway, Lottie".

"Exactly". She said, "I'll be a spinster".

Charlotte then added;

"and I'll live with a lot of animals. Dogs and that, eh? Just to keep me company. We'll have a braw life together, me and the dogs".

"How many dogs?" Popeye asked, with a hint of amusement.

"Eh…not sure, eh? How manys acceptable?"

"I'd say fours your limit". Grant said, "anything above that, then your house will stink".

"True". Charlotte mumbled, "cause my dogs aren't 'gonna be living outside, eh? They're 'gonna be indoors, with me".

Her life with four dogs suited Charlotte just fine.

The journey to the next German town was pleasant. The scenery was out of this world and the men enjoyed passing the mountains, castles and dark forests. When it reached the evening, they took over a large apartment building for 2nd Battalion to spend the night. The Germans weren't happy with leaving their homes for the night, but the men were too tired to care much about it.

Charlotte was lying down on someone's rug, with cushions for her head and blankets to keep the slight chill off her. Lying next to the fireplace, Grant took the couch, while Martin slept on an armchair, with his feet on the coffee table. Charlotte was close to falling asleep, when the sound of someone knocking on the front door, caused her eyes to snap back open.

Pulling the blanket off her body, Charlotte got onto her feet and walked over to answer it.

Standing outside of the apartment was Captain Nixon.

Which surprised her;

"sir?"

He gestured for Charlotte to step outside.

And she did just that.

Closing the door behind her, she looked up at the man;

"alright, Captain?"

Rubbing the stubble on his face, Nixon nodded;

"came here to thank you, actually".

He told her, with a tiny smile;

"the drawing".

"Oh". Charlotte mumbled softly, "it's alright, sir".

Nixon shrugged;

"it's not every day a trooper draws you a picture".

She snorted;

"aye, well – thought it might make you laugh".

"It did". He told her, "I'm surprised you still remember that".

Charlotte sighed;

"you don't really forget getting arrested, sir".

Nixon chuckled, "right".

Her face turned a little serious;

"sorry 'bout the lads from the plane, sir".

Sighing, he shrugged;

"don't be sorry, kiddo". He said quietly, "just one of those things I guess".

"Your luck isn't running out, sir". Charlotte said to him softly, "whenever I was like mad or that, dad would always tell me to keep my chin up, eh? When he told me that once, I told him to fuck off".

Nixon snorted;

"what'd he say?"

"Nothing". She mumbled, "he told me off for swearing, eh? But he was right, sir. Makes shit a whole lot worse, when you keep your head down and think about how shit things are. It's hard though, eh?"

Frowning a little, he nodded;

"can be". He said, "but he was right".

Charlotte sighed;

"aye, I know". She said softly.

She then asked him;

"how come we're still here, sir?"

"What do you mean?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"it's 'gonna end soon, eh? What's still needing to be done?"

Nixon shook his head;

"besides what we're doing now? I have no idea, kiddo".

With that said, their conversation ended, and Charlotte headed back inside.

**…**

On another long stretch of the journey, 2nd Battalion moved onto a four-way motorway. The roads were so clean and pristine, almost as if the war hadn't touched that part of Germany. On either side of them, were more mountains, dark forests and well-kept fields. No one could deny the beauty of Germany.

In the middle of the motorway, heading in the opposite direction, were a surrendering German army. The soldier's spines stiffened, and they march with pride as if they were winning the war. The men watched the Germans in silence. Any other month, then guns would be blasting out and shells would have been thrown. It was eerily quiet.

They were regular German soldiers.

But not to Webster.

He was soon standing up and shouting;

"hey! Hey you! That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards!"

Charlotte inwardly groaned.

"That's right!" Webster continued to yell, "say hello to Ford and general fucking motors! You stupid fascist pigs! Look at you! You have horses! What were you thinking?!"

Charlotte grabbed his arm;

"sit the fuck down". She hissed. "Jesus fuck…".

Webster sat down.

Running a hand down his face, he then muttered;

"dragging our asses halfway across the world, interrupting our lives".

Webster's face scrunched up in anger again.

He stood back up;

"for what?!" He yelled, "you ignorant, servile scum! What the fuck are we doing here?! Huh?!"

"Webster!" Charlotte hissed again, "sit down before you I kick your fucking arse".

In the jeep behind them, were Winters and Nixon.

And Charlotte hoped they wouldn't have something to say about Webster's outburst.

When Webster sat down again, she kept her hand on his arm;

"just…calm down, alright?"

He pointed to the Germans;

"when will I even get that chance again, Lottie?!"

"I don't know, Web". She muttered, "write it in your fucking journal or something, eh? Just don't go yelling at the damn Germans again".

Webster let out a shaky sigh.

Charlotte's face softened;

"look, man". She said, in a gentler voice. "Those are just soldiers, eh? Just like me and you. They got dragged into this, just like we did. It's not their fault, you know? It's whoever started this shit. So, like, maybe you should write a really angry letter to Hitler, eh? Cause if you 'wanna blame someone, then blame that wee bastard".

Huffing out a short laugh, Webster shook his head;

"think he'd read that, Lottie?"

"He should, eh?" Charlotte said, "bet your letter would have all the long words – college boy".

Looking at her, Webster smiled;

"I know that was a compliment".

She shrugged;

"I can't talk, man". Charlotte mumbled, "I went to college too".

He looked surprised.

She laughed;

"come on, eh? You don't think I could be smart enough?"

"I never said that, Lottie". Webster argued kindly, "you just surprised me, is all".

Charlotte sighed;

"well, I studied music and history, Web". She told him, "I wanted to compose for a living, eh? But now I'm thinking about engineering".

"Good for you, Lottie". He said softly, "yeah…you should study what you want, huh?"

Charlotte smiled up at him;

"I like how modern you are, man". She said, "bet you were well into women getting the vote and that, eh?"

"I was". Webster confirmed, "women are strong, Lottie. Especially women like you".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte rubbed the back of her neck;

"right, Web".

He chuckled and nudged her arm;

"sorry, Lottie". He said, "but…it's true, you know? You're saying a big fuck you, to people who still think women should stay at home and look after a house".

Charlotte bit her lip;

"I think people should just do what they want, eh? If someone wants to run a house, fair enough. But if they don't, then don't do that. Do something you want".

"Exactly".

"Same goes for lads too, Web". She added, "like, there's a lot of high expectations for men, eh? You's are expected to earn a shit ton of money and provide for a family. That's your role in life. And you know what, Web?"

Webster smiled;

"what?"

"I reckon you's should give a big fuck you to the man as well. Cause if you don't 'wanna do that, then you's shouldn't have to". Charlotte shook her head, "loads of pressure on everyone. To make money, have kids, get married and put food on the table. Like – what if you don't want a fucking table, man? Where's that food 'gonna go? I tell you, it's 'gonna go wherever the fuck you want it to go".

Webster's smile widened;

"how about under the table?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Web". Charlotte said, "see me? I'm 'gonna eat in my bed. With my four fucking dogs".

Bringing out her packet of cigarettes, she lit on up and said;

"I knew you would be cool, Web".

"You did?"

She nodded;

"aye…you're honest, eh? And smart. You got any hobbies?"

Webster took a moment to think about that, before replying;

"sharks".

Charlotte raised an eyebrow;

"eh?"

He shrugged;

"sharks. I'm into sharks".

Blowing out the smoke, Charlotte replied;

"I mean…like sexually or-"

"what?!" Webster exclaimed and almost laughed, "no!"

She smirked;

"hey, man…I'm not here to judge".

He laughed;

"no, Lottie…no, I'm interested in learning more about them. The ocean fascinates me. It's large, deep and there's so much undiscovered".

Charlotte nodded slowly;

"aye, I see what you mean, pal". She said lightly, "but sharks? They're a bit evil, or they not?"

Webster shrugged;

"some species are more of a threat than others. Like the Tiger shark, the Great White maybe".

"What 'bout that black and white shark, Web? What's that one called?"

Webster frowned;

"uh…I don't think there-"

"come on, man". She said, "it's like huge, eh? Black, with white markings? Killer something?"

He smiled;

"you mean the Killer Whale, Lotte?"

"Aye, that one". Charlotte said, "that's a good shark, eh?"

Webster cleared his throat;

"well…no, it's – it's not a shark, Lottie. It's a whale".

Charlotte shrugged;

"whatever…they're practically the same".

He laughed softly;

"yeah, sure – only, a whale is a mammal, while a shark is a fish".

"What's the difference?"

"Well, a fish has gills to breathe under the water. While mammals like dolphins and whales, they have a blowhole to breathe. Meaning, they must head up to the surface to breathe. Also, mammals nurse their young, fish don't".

"What other mammals live in the sea, Web?"

"Sea otters, seals, walruses, dugongs, manatees and porpoises".

Charlotte nodded slowly;

"I've seen a seal". She told him lightly, "they're funny things, eh?"

"Sure". He said, with a smile. "They're pretty intelligent too, you know. And dolphins".

For the rest of the journey, Webster gave her a lecture on fish and the mammals which lived in the water. Charlotte learned a lot and by the time they stopped for a rest in their next stop, her mind had grown twice it's normal size. They had only stopped off for an hour, allowing the men to stretch their legs and take care of business. Charlotte didn't know where they were, but the tiny village only had a few houses, one shop and a pub. The locals decided to keep inside, rather than offer the soldiers any food or beer.

"Martin". Charlotte called her friend over.

"What?" Martin asked, as he made his way towards her.

She nodded towards the pub;

"come with me?"

He raised an eyebrow;

"you 'wanna get drunk?"

"Nah – I need to pee, but I don't 'wanna go outside, eh? I'd feel like I was taking a step back".

Martin chuckled;

"yeah, I get it". He said, "sure, let's go".

The pair of them entered the pub.

It seemed some of the locals decided to have an afternoon drink.

When the door closed, four German men turned to look their way.

And they didn't look happy to see two American Paratroopers walk into their local watering hole. Clearing her throat, Charlotte's eyes scanned for the toilets. She eventually did find them, the door was in the back of the pub. Licking her bottom lip, Charlotte looked up at Martin;

"you're walking me there, right?"

"Yup". He answered, almost immediately.

Blinking a few times, she looked back in front of her.

"Why're they still staring at us?" Charlotte whispered.

"I don't know". Martin whispered back, "but be quick".

"I'll be two ticks".

"Lottie, we don't know what that fucking means".

"Like – two minutes, eh?" She told him, "I won't be more than five, man".

Martin and Charlotte seemed to be glued to the spot.

One of the German men cleared his throat.

Charlotte sighed;

"should probably start walking, eh?"

"Yeah, probably". Martin agreed quietly.

Taking the lead, Charlotte made her way towards the toilets, with Martin right behind her. The pair of them walked very quietly and carefully, not wanting to disturb the men inside the pub, who were having a quiet pint. When Charlotte reached the bathroom door, she grabbed the handle and pulled it down. When trying to open the door, she found it to be locked. Pursing her lips together, she mumbled;

"it's locked".

Martin's eyes widened a little;

"can't you just piss outside-"

"we've been over this, Johnny". She muttered, "I'm used to peeing indoors again. And plus, everyone will see me, Johnny. And I'm shy when it comes to peeing-"

"fine". Martin sighed, "fine…okay, let me ask".

Taking in a deep breath, Martin turned to face the bartender.

He was a beefy man, with a bright red beard and bushy eyebrows.

The man was twice Martin's size.

"Uh – key? Bathroom?" Martin asked, while pointing towards the bathroom door.

When the bartender looked Charlotte's way, she gave him a shy and nervous wave.

Glaring, the bartender said through gritted teeth;

"dogs pee outside".

Charlotte bobbed her head;

"he's right – Johnny, let's go".

Pulling a face, Martin looked at her;

"what?"

Charlotte was already walking towards the door;

"Johnny, come on!" She urged before stepping outside and leaving Martin alone with angry German men.

Martin eventually caught up with Charlotte.

She was a few feet away from the pub;

"Lottie!" He called, "come on – I'll talk to him again-"

"Johnny! He's a big fucking German man!" Charlotte argued, "just leave it, eh?"

"Look, I'll-"

"what's going on? Why are you both yelling?" Winters asked.

Speirs was standing next to him.

Charlotte turned around and looked up at the two officers;

"eh…it's fine, sirs".

Martin snorted;

"Lottie got spooked inside the pub". He explained, "she wanted to use their bathroom, but the bartender isn't 'gonna let her".

Speirs looked over at the pub.

And, without saying anything, he walked in that direction.

Silently, Charlotte and Martin watched the Captain enter the pub.

Nothing was said for around ten seconds.

Until Speirs came back outside;

"Sargent, come on".

Frowning a little, Charlotte slowly walked over to Speirs.

Once inside the pub, she found the bartender urgently unlocking the bathroom door.

When he spotted Charlotte and Speirs, he plastered on a large and nervous smile;

"good Americans". He said, "you use the bathroom, ja? In you go".

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and wondered what Speirs had said, in the space of ten seconds, to change the bartender's mind. Or better yet, what had their Captain done.

When Charlotte walked into the small but clean bathroom, she turned on the light.

Only to let out a tiny scream.

Which of course, Speirs heard.

He came rushing down towards the door;

"what is it?" He asked, sounding alarmed.

Charlotte pulled open the door and yelled;

"what kind of sick fuck, has a painting of a fucking frog?!"

Rolling his eyes, Speirs said;

"Jesus Christ, Sargent…".

Stepping into the bathroom, Speirs grabbed the painting and stepped out. He then tossed the painting of very detailed frog sitting on a log by a lake, onto the ground;

"alright, go".

Charlotte smiled a little;

"cheers, sir".

Huffing out a tiny laugh, Speirs shook his head;

"don't mention it".


	48. Chapter 47

They reached Landsburg later that afternoon and it was their final stop for the day, Winters planned to have his men rest in the small village for the night. Jumping down from the back of the truck, Charlotte breathed in and her senses caught a strange smell;

"is someone cooking something?"

"Smells like it, huh?" Malarkey agreed while jumping down to join her.

Charlotte looked around the peaceful village.

She didn't see any locals, much like their previous stop.

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte got her squad in order and made sure all elven was standing before her. Apparently, Speirs was planning to send out patrols, to scout the area. Easy was taking the forest. Fox would take the other side of the forest, while Dog would scout out the village. Once the order was in place, Charlotte led her squad into the forest.

It was like a peaceful march back in England.

Charlotte and 1st squad didn't encounter anything.

And they made it back in the village with a few other squad's, without anything to report. No enemy movement and no threats. This village was clean and secured. So, Charlotte had her squad find a place to spend the night, while she asked Grant how his scouting mission went.

"It's quiet". He told her, "not even the damn birds were singing".

Charlotte frowned a little;

"I didn't even notice that, Chuck". She mumbled, "think that's weird?"

Grant shrugged;

"just how it is, Lottie. It's probably nothing".

Charlotte and Grant didn't notice Perconte rushing to locate an officer. But they did hear a few men calling after him, wondering if the guy was okay. Moments later, Winters, Lipton and Speirs ordered Easy to get back on the trucks. Most of the 2nd Battalion officers went along as well, including Welsh and Nixon. Charlotte managed to quickly get 1st squad loaded into the back of a truck and she jumped in after them, seconds before the truck took off down the road.

It was all in such a great rush.

With Winters in the lead, they sped off down a road, which cut up inside the forest. The road was almost hidden, behind the trees and bushes. But Perconte's scouting party managed to go far enough into the forest, to find this hidden road.

The further they followed this road; a terrible stench would begin to reach their noses. It burned their eyes; they hadn't smelt anything like it before. Charlotte almost gagged from the smell. But she held it together, for she was both curious and frightened for what they might come across. And for a moment, all she could see was a tall fence, with barbed wires at the top. It seemed to stretch out for miles. And it reminded Charlotte of a POW camp. But the smell led her to believe, that it was far worse.

When the trucks did eventually stop, no one moved.

Winters got out from his jeep, with Nixon, Lipton, Perconte and a few others following behind him. He then ordered quietly for someone to;

"open it up".

The men inside her truck suddenly went very quiet.

Charlotte couldn't see anything apart from the tall fence.

She had no idea what lived inside the fence.

But it was shocking enough, to silence an entire Company.

Slowly, one by one, the men inside the truck left the vehicle and walked slowly towards Winters and the others. Biting her lower lip, Charlotte followed after them. Her boots hit the ground and she could hear a series of moans and weak cries, coming from where the fence was. Moving passed the men in front of her, she finally saw the horror her friends had witnessed.

There were men. Only, they were all extremely sick and skinny.

They all had their heads shaven; some men wore caps.

Each man wore the same clothing; a striped uniform, which looked like pyjamas. And on their shirts, they had a badge. Some were yellow, red, green, blue, purple, black, brown and pink. And some were mixed in together, like yellow and red, or pink and yellow.

And at first, Charlotte did think this might have been some sort of prison.

Only, the men were malnourished, and they looked almost frightened. They clung onto the Americans, bony fingers gripping onto their sleeves. When Charlotte walked beyond the gates, she was greeted with another haunting sight;

Bodies.

Dead bodies. Stacked atop of each other. Skinny, naked and left lying on the ground, burning in shallow graves or hanging out from triangular barracks. The men left standing, stumbled and some even crawled for help. No one knew what this place was, but Lipton ordered everyone to give these men any spare rations, water and blankets. All the while, the medics did their best to clean any wounds and give the sick some much-needed care.

Charlotte got her squad together.

However, some were finding it hard to stomach the sights and the smells.

Men were gagging and getting sick.

While others looked close to tears.

Charlotte got her men moving. She split her squad up, sending one group to one end and the other further up. When the squad broke apart, Charlotte turned to her left and ended up following Winters, Perconte and Spina to the back of a train car. She stood a few feet behind them and watched, as Spina pulled the car open. And to their horror, the car was stacked up with bodies.

It was a sight, that could never be scrubbed away.

Taking in a sharp breath, Charlotte turned and looked the other way.

Blinking a few times, she walked further up.

Walking, with heavy legs which dragged her across the muddy grounds, Charlotte still didn't understand why these men were brought here and left to die. She didn't know what this place was or why it even existed. And she might have wondered in this nightmare, not knowing anything but a hand suddenly stopped her.

Charlotte came to a halt.

Turning to her right, a man stood next to her.

His eyes were haunted, with the smallest spark of hope.

And his lips twitched;

"you came…". He whispered.

Like the rest of the men, his head was shaven. He wore the same uniform. And Charlotte looked at his badge and noticed it was yellow and pink. It took her a few moments to take note of his accent. He didn't sound German. In fact, he sounded;

"Polish?"

Letting go of her arm, the man nodded.

Charlotte looked up and searched his eyes;

"why?" She whispered.

His bony fingers pressed up against his yellow badge;

"Jew". He replied, "Polish Jew".

Charlotte shook her head;

"I don't…I don't get it". She whispered. "Is this place…a prison?"

The man's eyes saddened, and his face formed a deep frown;

"no". He told her quietly, "we work…we die…Germans put us here".

"Why?"

"We are…Jews". He whispered bitterly, "Poles…gypsies…undesirables…homosexual".

Slowly, Charlotte could feel her face drop.

Her eyes left him and they wandered around the camp.

She could see bodies, men being too weak to walk.

All around her was hell.

And suddenly, it felt as though the ground was being pulled away from her. Charlotte felt sick and her knees trembled, while they bashed against each other. She stared back up at the man, eyes shining with unleashed tears;

"Irena". Charlotte whispered, shaking her head, "oh God…".

"They say…. if we work, we will be free". He continued to tell her, "but the only freedom we had, was death".

Charlotte grabbed a hold of the man's sleeve;

"no, don't tell me". She croaked, "this isn't…this didn't happen to her…".

"Don't you see". He whispered fiercely, "men…some couldn't take it. So, they grabbed the fence. They die because they knew, there was no hope".

Charlotte and Irena did everything together.

They were in love.

Charlotte's hands tightened against the man's sleeve;

"the…the Sosnowska family. Have you heard of them?"

He shook his head;

"I have not". He told her, "they are probably dead too".

Letting go of his sleeve, Charlotte stumbled back.

Running a hand down her face, she could feel the world around her swallow her up. And Charlotte was standing in the middle of it all, while hell unfolded and brought out more tragic scenes. It didn't feel real because this place wasn't mean to exist. These men weren't meant to be locked away, hidden from the rest of the world. They were normal men, with normal jobs. And she couldn't wrap her head around it.

For each time she looked into the men's eyes, she saw Irena's father.

Raising her finger, she pointed towards the man's badge;

"yellow and pink means Jew?"

His eyes moved down towards his badge;

"yellow is Jew". He whispered, "pink is…homosexual".

Feeling her bottom lip quiver, Charlotte took a step towards him.

She took his hand into hers;

"you can see the doctor now".

The man's eyes lightened a little;

"you are kind…first person who is kind to me in years".

Sniffing, Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek;

"they're wrong about us". She whispered.

"You are…Jewish?"

Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Charlotte shook her head.

She wiped her tear away with her free hand;

"follow me".

**…**

The men inside the camp were beyond starving.

So, a squad of men headed back into the village to grab food for the men inside the camp. And while they did that, the rest of Easy helped with the sick. Charlotte was doing her best, with Irena still in the back of her mind, she often felt herself drift off and think about what might have happened to her, or if she was even still alive. Charlotte wondered if there was another camp like the one Easy had discovered. She could only assume there was. And she wanted to find Irena. She needed to find her.

Charlotte overheard someone talk about a woman's camp at the next railroad stop. And she wanted to go and search for Irena there first. Charlotte would search the whole of Europe for Irena. They hadn't seen each other since Irena and her family disappeared; taken prisoner by the Germans and probably placed into a camp.

She had to go.

Walking over towards Speirs, she said it outright;

"let me go to the women's camp, sir".

The Captain looked down at her;

"no". He flat out refused, "I need you here".

"You don't understand". She muttered, "I have to go".

"No". Speirs repeated, "you'll stay with the men, Sargent".

"You don't understand!" Charlotte snapped, "I have to go!"

The Captain didn't say anything at first.

He could understand her sudden outburst.

So, he did what he felt was right;

"go back to the trucks". He ordered her, "wait there until we move out".

Charlotte almost snapped again.

Speirs could see it in her eyes.

"Now, Sargent". He ordered her quietly, but firmly.

Turning her back to him, Charlotte walked out of the camp.

Outside of the camp, Winters had just gotten off the phone with Colonel Sink, when he noticed Charlotte standing in front of the truck. She was gently kicking the tyre; her hands balled up into fists. And he already knew what it was about. Winters made his way over to her;

"Lottie".

Her head jerked up towards him;

"get him to change his mind".

"Who?" Winters asked her quietly.

"Captain Speirs!" She exclaimed, "get him to change his mind. I have to check the women's camp, sir".

Face forming into a frown, Winters whispered;

"for Irena?"

Charlotte nodded and clenched her jaw;

"aye". She practically spat, "and he won't let me go!"

Crouching a little in front of her, Winters told her lowly;

"Lottie, whatever you're feeling right now, you can deal with it later. Right now, these men need our help. The squad will be returning shortly with some food, I need you to help them hand everything out, okay? And then after, we'll have a word".

Charlotte felt her bottom lip quiver;

"this is wrong". She croaked, "all of it-"

"I know, Lottie". He murmured, "but let's put our emotions to one side and do our job".

When the squad arrived with the food, things started to get chaotic. The men were obviously starving, and they were pushing towards the front to try and get to the food quicker. A few guys from Easy were standing at the back of a truck, handing out cheese and bread for the men. But the food wasn't being delivered quickly enough.

Charlotte and Webster were on the ground, giving the men glasses of water. They guzzled the water down very quickly and came back for more. Charlotte was worried they'd run out soon. Looking up from the barrel, her eyes found Nixon;

"Captain Nixon!" She called out; voice being heard above the uproar.

Nixon walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder;

"Lottie?"

"We're running out of water, sir".

"We've got more water on the way". He assured her, "get the men who haven't had any water yet".

Webster filled up a cup and handed it back to a man who came for seconds.

Charlotte bit her lip;

"it's hard, sir".

"I know". He mumbled quietly, "we're getting more water, don't worry".

The chaos surrounding them escalated, when Liebgott had to announce to these men, that they were to be locked back up inside this camp until they could find a safe place for them. Only, instead of yells and moans, Easy was met with tearless sobs and wails.

Charlotte looked towards the back of the truck and saw Liebgott.

His head was in his hands and he was crying.

A lot of men were crying.

They stayed with the men for another hour, making sure they had enough to drink. The men were to stop eating the bread and cheese, for the Regimental surgeon was worried the men would end up eating themselves to death. So, not only did Easy have to lock the gates but they had to take away their food. It was horrible.

And when the Company left, the trucks were quiet.

Eddie Joint was crying in his hands.

Heffron had an arm around his shoulders, with silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

A dark and heavy cloud hung above their heads.

No one knew what to say, they couldn't put into words what had happened. It felt like they had uncovered a dark and deep secret. The Nazi's did have other camps around Europe. Some were bigger than others, some only had the purpose to kill upon arrival, while others served a brutal purpose for them to work until death came. It was horrific and it changed the war completely.

Charlotte looked over at Webster.

He was staring at his hands.

Clearing her throat, she said quietly;

"this is why we're still here, Web".

Slowly, he looked at her.

Webster gave a tiny nod before he looked back at his hands again.

The journey back into town was silent.

And when they jumped down from the trucks, the locals were nowhere to be seen. Which was probably for the best. But Charlotte wanted so badly, to drag them out from their houses and demand to know why they allowed for that to happen. Because they must have known. The smell alone was enough to go on, that something wasn't right. The camp was on the other side of the woods. How could they not have known?

The men made their way back to their billets for the night.

Charlotte watched her squad walk away, while she stayed by the truck.

The sky was growing dark, while the sun set behind the small German village.

Her eyes moved back towards the road.

Biting her bottom lip, Charlotte could feel her gut pull her back. She wanted to find Irena. For years, Irena's disappearance was a mystery to Charlotte. And now, she had the answer. The Nazi's knew of Irena's whereabouts and they shipped her, and her parents back over to Germany or Poland. Charlotte didn't know how that happened, whether the British decided to allow the arrest to happen, or whether they were caught out in hiding. Either way, she felt let down by her country.

"You 'wanna find her?"

Turning around, she looked up.

Winters was standing behind her, with Nixon.

Charlotte nodded;

"I do".

"She might not be there". Winters warned her quietly, "that's not the only camp".

"I have to…to try, sir".

Frowning, Winters tilted his head to the side;

"what if she's not there, trooper?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"then she's probably somewhere else, eh?" She mumbled, "cause Irena…she won't be – she's somewhere else then".

Licking her bottom lip, she added;

"we could…could tell someone 'bout her, right? And they could keep an eye out for her".

"The Soviet's liberated a camp in Poland, a lot larger than the one we saw today". Winters told her quietly, "seven thousand were alive inside the camp. And most of them were sick and dying. That was back in January when they liberated the camp. More and more allies are coming across these camps, the further we get into occupied countries".

Charlotte shook her head;

"I don't get it". She whispered.

"What don't you get?" Winters asked her kindly.

She shrugged;

"don't get why the camps are even there, to begin with".

"I don't think we're meant to understand, Lottie". He said, "I think if we understood why the Nazi's did this, then we'd be just as evil as them".

Charlotte could feel her bottom lip tremble;

"can we…can we look, sir?"

Winters didn't want Charlotte to witness another camp.

But he didn't have the heart to refuse.

So, he agreed;

"we can go".

Charlotte let out a shaky sigh;

"okay, sir". She whispered, "just the three of us?"

"Yeah". Winters confirmed quietly, "two squads from Fox Company are there already".

Nixon cleared his throat;

"this camps a lot bigger, Lottie". He warned her.

Charlotte thought he meant in size.

And Nixon did but his meaning went further than just the size of the camp.

His face was serious, while he continued to stare down at the girl;

"we haven't been but the men from F Company have been updating us. We have a few doctors on sight with the women…and children".

Charlotte's face dropped;

"what?" She asked, in a tiny voice. "Children?"

"We can't stay long". Winters told her again, "okay? You need to get back and rest".

He was only protecting her.

But Charlotte was only thinking about one person;

"I just need to find Irena, sir".


	49. Chapter 48

The lights shining down on the camp were as bright as the sun.

In the darkness, the only thing visible was the camp and the women inside. And like Nixon had warned her, the camp was a lot bigger than the men's camp. Some women looked healthier than others. The women with purple badges had nicer clothing and their heads weren't shaven. It was strange, seeing healthy women, sitting next to the sick, who looked close to dying. Across the camp, she could see men from Fox Company dig up the earth, trying to create graves. But while the dug, they uncovered more bodies – hundreds of bodies.

Charlotte, Nixon and Winters walked through the gates, once a trooper unlocked it for them. The smell was just as bad as the last camp. Though Charlotte did notice a few women smiling, while they spoke with the American troopers. Her eyes landed on a small gathering of women, most of which had the yellow badge on their shirts, with shaven heads.

Taking off her helmet, Charlotte approached the women.

Crouching in front of them, she asked;

"do any of you speak English?"

One raised her hand and gave Charlotte a tiny smile;

"I do". She responded.

Charlotte's eyes moved towards the young woman.

"What's your name?"

"Anna". She responded, "what is yours?"

"It's Lottie". Charlotte replied softly, "have you got enough water?"

"We do". Anna assured her, "you American's…are very nice to us".

"You won't be here forever". Charlotte told her, "once we find a safe place…you're out of here".

Anna looked around at the women beside her;

"this was home…for many months". She whispered, "I was transported here from Auschwitz".

Rubbing her lips together, Charlotte asked;

"where's that?"

"Poland". Anna replied, "where I was from…I got lucky, moving here".

"So…you're from Poland?"

Anna nodded;

"that's right". She confirmed softly, "my whole family…I will never see them again. They went up the chimney".

Charlotte frowned;

"what do you mean, Anna?"

Shaking her head, Anna's eyes filled with tears;

"I can't say".

Charlotte reached out and took Anna's hand;

"that's okay". She mumbled softly, "can I ask you a question?"

"Yes". Anna replied.

Taking in a deep breath first, Charlotte asked;

"have you heard a girl called Irena Sosnowska. She's my age, a little taller than me. Dark hair, light eyes. She has freckles on her nose and wears glasses".

Anna pulled a thoughtful frown;

"I come across a lot of people, Lottie". She said to her softly, "I do not know".

"That's okay". Charlotte hid the disappointment in her voice, "that's okay – I understand".

"There is always hope". Anna told her, "but I do not think she is here".

Leaving Anna to rest, Charlotte, Winters and Nixon searched the camp, hoping to find Irena, or any information on her whereabouts. It wasn't going well, for the women who spoke English, none of them had even heard of Irena. Charlotte was beginning to realise that Irena probably wasn't inside this camp. And after almost two hours of searching, Winters placed his hand on her shoulder;

"Lottie". He said quietly, "we have to go now".

A desperate look crossed her face;

"but we didn't find her".

"I don't think she's here, trooper".

Charlotte's face formed into a sad frown.

Her teary eyes scanned the camp, looking from the barracks, to the women sitting outside. She did have some hope that Irena would be among the survivors from the camp but that hope left and Charlotte felt a ton of dread drop into her stomach. It was hard to breathe through, knowing Irena might not have survived this. And it was even harder to come to terms with, that she had been placed into a camp like the one Charlotte was standing in.

Her arms wrapped around herself. Charlotte lowered her head to the muddy ground. The great mystery of Irena was finally solved, and Charlotte felt like someone had just ripped her heart out from her chest. But one mystery still remained; where was Irena now?

Winters arm went around her shoulders;

"come on, trooper". He murmured softly, "let's get back to town".

**…**

Inside a house, the Sargent's from 2nd Platoon slept soundly.

Outside, the night was quiet, and the village was still.

But the calmness was interrupted, by a loud and piercing scream.

The scream only lasted a few seconds before it stopped as suddenly as it started. The men inside the bedroom were immediately woken up by the scream. And by the time they got out of bed and hit the lights, the screaming stopped. Charlotte was sitting up in her bed, face and body drenched with sweat. Her entire body was trembling, and her eyes were wide and glassy.

She was breathing heavy and her body was stiff and still as if she was glued to the mattress. With her lips parted, a tiny whimper left her. Before she convulsed and threw-up all over her lap. By that point, Grant rushed to her side and placed a hand on her back;

"get the doc, she's sick".

Malarkey left the room quickly, to fetch the medic.

Charlotte retched again.

Grant sighed and rubbed her back;

"you sick? What's going on?"

Popeye frowned and sat on the edge of her bed;

"Chuck, I don't think she's sick". He said quietly, "she was screaming pretty loud".

Trembling still, Charlotte leaned into Grant's side.

Frowning, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders;

"Lottie, what's going on?" Grant asked, sounding alarmed. "Huh? What happened?"

Charlotte didn't reply.

The terror and horror were still trapped inside her eyes. She stared at the wall, while a tear rolled down her cheek and dripped down from her chin. Popeye gave her arm a little rub;

"let's get her out of the bed, Chuck". He suggested quietly, "move her somewhere clean".

Before Grant and Popeye could begin to move her, Roe and Malarkey quickly ran into the room. The medics eyes went from the pile of vomit on the bed to Charlotte. Taking a step towards her, Popeye moved out of the way, so Roe could check her forehead for a temperature.

"She's not warm". He murmured.

Roe then looked at her eyes and frowned;

"let's get her cleaned up". He said softly, "get her back to bed".

Grant frowned;

"what's wrong with her, doc?"

"Nothing". Roe said quietly, "she had a nightmare".

"Nightmares don't do that". He argued quietly, "do they?"

The medic shrugged;

"sure they can, Sargent".

Malarkey sighed and rubbed the back of his neck;

"strip the sheets, fellas. She can share with us tonight".

But Grant wasn't done with being worried;

"why isn't she talking, doc?"

"She'll be fine, Sargent". Roe assured the worried friend, "she's probably scared".

Charlotte blinked a few times and raised her head.

Letting out a shaky breath, she looked up at Grant;

"sorry".

"No". Grant shook his head, "don't be sorry – you can't help this".

"I'm a mess". She croaked, "sorry".

"It's easy enough to clean up". He told her, "don't worry, alright?"

Grant took a hold of her arm;

"let's get you cleaned up, pal". He said to her softly, "then we should get some more sleep".

While the men took care of her sheets, Charlotte washed up in the bathroom.

She changed her t-shirt, brushed her teeth and tried to calm her racing heart. Turning off the taps, Charlotte then dried her face with a towel. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed how pale she looked and the small amount of terror, still left in her eyes.

Leaving the bathroom, she walked back into the bedroom.

Grant gave her his best smile;

"feel better?"

Nodding, Charlotte looked over at his bed;

"can I sleep with you tonight?"

Clearing his throat, Grant shrugged;

"that's fine, Lottie – I can sleep on the floor-"

"no". She cut him off, "no…no, I…".

Her eyes moved up to look at him;

"stay with me?" Charlotte whispered.

Grant felt more worried than he previously felt before.

"Of course". He whispered, "yeah – get in".

He had never seen her look or act so frightened, not even out in the forest.

"You 'wanna take the wall side?" Grant asked her, while pulling the blankets back.

Charlotte looked over at the door, which Malarkey was closing.

Turning back to face Grant, she nodded.

Grant smiled small;

"fair enough". He said, "just don't kick me off the bed, huh?"

The small oil lamp on the bedside table was still glowing.

When Charlotte got into the bed, she made one more request;

"can we keep that wee light on?"

Frowning a little, Grant looked over at Malarkey and Popeye.

They both shrugged.

"Sure". Malarkey replied quietly, "we can keep it on tonight".

The Sargent's got back into their beds and settled down.

Charlotte curled up, with her knees reaching her chest.

She moved into Grant, forehead touching his side.

It made the man frown;

"Lottie?" He asked, "what happened?"

Her eyes remained open.

And her lips parted.

As if she was still in a state of shock.

"I don't know". She whispered.

Grant placed his hand on her back;

"nightmare, huh?"

Charlotte was quiet for a few moments.

Until she eventually replied quietly;

"aye".

**…**

Standing outside of the house early the next morning, Charlotte needed the fresh air to wash away the sickening feeling still left in her stomach from last night. She didn't manage to fall back asleep again, frightened she'd have another bad dream and wake up her friends. And when the sun started to rise, Charlotte felt it best to leave the bedroom and let her friends sleep.

It seemed Charlotte wasn't the only one awake.

Nixon was walking out of CP, a cigarette between his lips.

When he spotted the Sargent, he walked over to her.

"I'm heading back". Nixon told her.

Charlotte looked up at him;

"where?" She asked quietly.

"The men's camp". He mumbled, "the locals here have 'gotta start burying the dead, General Taylor declared martial law".

Crossing her arms over her chest, Charlotte nodded;

"good". She muttered.

Nixon sighed;

"they're denying it all, Lottie". He said, sounding as if he couldn't believe it, "they say they didn't know a thing and that we're exaggerating".

"Fuck sake". Charlotte hissed, "I've given up on humans".

"Same, kiddo".

Clearing her throat, she asked;

"the men…did they leave the camp?"

"Yeah". Nixon replied quietly, "they found a safe place for them".

He then added;

"the women and children too".

Nodding, Charlotte did feel a small amount of relief, knowing the survivors were finally out from those camps.

"We're moving out today". Nixon added softly, "still on the road to wherever. I'm thinking they want us to clear out the SS officers next".

"Where will they be?" Charlotte asked him quietly.

He snorted;

"hidden in the alps".

Frowning, she looked up at him;

"eh?"

Nixon shrugged;

"Hitler supposedly wants to start a guerrilla war. He sent the Waffen SS up in the mountains to repel any invaders".

Frowning still, she faced the front again.

And saw the locals leaving their homes, forced out by the military police.

Charlotte shook her head;

"doubt they'll be there, sir". She said quietly, "they're murderers. And usually, when a mass-murderer commits a crime, they fuck off and hide. Or they kill themselves. Either way, I hope they all fucking die. And I hope we catch them, eh? And make them fucking suffer".

Nixon's face formed a frown;

"Dick told me about Irena". He said softly, "how much she meant to you".

Charlotte winced a little.

His frown deepened;

"kiddo, I've been in love. In fact, my wife wants to divorce me now. She's taking the kid and the dog. But I understand that you 'wanna find Irena. And I'll do what I can to help you".

Feeling her bottom lip quiver, she bit down on her lip.

Blinking away the tears, Charlotte looked up at him and nodded.

Smiling small, Nixon placed a hand on her shoulder.

A few moments of silence went by.

Until Charlotte said;

"the dog?"

Nixon sighed;

"she hates that damn dog".

"That's fucking shocking, sir". She said, "imagine taking away your dog, eh?"

"Yup – sure is cruel".

Nixon's eyes wandered towards a jeep;

"you know, I think I'll head to the camp now".

Charlotte looked up at him;

"want some company?"

He looked back at her;

"you don't have to-"

"it's fine, sir". Charlotte assured him quietly, "you obviously 'wanna go back there for a reason, eh? But you shouldn't be going alone".

Going back a second time, was just as shocking as the first.

Nixon and Charlotte walked quietly through the camp, while the locals uncovered the dead buried beneath the earth. They were standing in pits, filled with nothing but death. Some looked disgusted with this task, while others cried and pleaded for this to end. Charlotte couldn't offer them any sympathy whatsoever. She felt numb while walking around the camp.

Nixon seemed to stop at one particular part.

An older woman was struggling with her task.

It wasn't an easy task; Charlotte could admit that.

But the way Nixon's eyes narrowed towards the older woman, caused Charlotte to shudder. Looking up at the Captain, Charlotte placed her hand into his. Blinking a few times, Nixon looked down at her.

It was obvious Nixon had met that woman before. Charlotte could only guess while he was out looking for a place to spend the night or whatever. And she could tell that the Captain disliked the woman. Charlotte didn't know why but she figured the reason must have been solid. Because she had never seen such disgust on the man's face before.

Nixon gave her a tiny nod and the pair of them walked out from the camp.

**…**

They stopped off in another German town on the 30th of April.

The town was destroyed by bombs and war in general. And the people living in the town were trying to tidy the place up. Easy didn't interfere. They simply watch the whole clean-up process in silence. A string quartet played music, while the Germans worked. They were playing Beethoven; No. 14 in C sharp minor. Charlotte didn't think it was strange at all, that the Germans would be playing a German composer, on the day of Hitler's suicide. The war wasn't over, but it was ending.

Charlotte's eyes landed on a piano sitting behind the string quartet.

Walking over bricks and ruined furniture, she reached the old piano. Charlotte didn't have a stool to sit down on but lifted the case covering the case and blew the dust and chalk away. The string quartet stopped playing, curious and confused eyes from the Germans looked her way.

Charlotte cracked her knuckles and played a song, in hopes of pissing the Germans off.

She began to play Frederic Chopin, the famous Polish composer.

Charlotte's fingers played the composition; Nocturne en mi majeur.

She had always loved the song, as did Irena. Charlotte often played the song for Irena. And she could imagine that Hitler might not have approved such a talented composer in Germany. But the man was dead, and Charlotte felt it best to celebrate his passing, with a song which reminded her of Irena and her family.

For over four minutes, Charlotte was in a world of her own.

When the song ended, she carefully took her fingers off the keys.

With a tiny smile, Charlotte gently closed the lid on the piano.

Looking up towards a house, which was missing the front.

She gave Nixon, Liebgott, Webster and a few others a smile.

And, with a smile still on her face, Charlotte said;

"fuck you, Hitler".


	50. Chapter 49

With no shade to protect them, Charlotte felt doomed from the glaring sun.

It shone down on Easy and 2nd Battalion, while they stopped on the side of a mountain. Every so often, an explosion would go off, while the men tried to shift the boulders and rocks, blocking their way up the rest of the mountain. Nothing seemed to budge the blockage, so, they called in for the engineers to move the boulders. But they called the engineers over half an hour ago. And the men were still lounging on the side of the mountain, while the sun-kissed their skin.

"I don't see what the big deal is". Charlotte mumbled, "it's just a fucking town".

Webster huffed;

"Lottie!" He exclaimed, "it's Berchtesgaden! The heads of the Third Reich live there. It's a pretty big deal if we capture it".

"Exactly". She said, "it's a town, man. It's not like we're knocking on the Kings door, eh? This is where a bunch of vile bastard's lives. I don't 'wanna step foot in that shitting town".

"Think of it like this". Webster said to her, "we're taking over their homes and grabbing all that expensive loot. We can sell that and make a good amount of money".

Taking in a drag from her cigarette, Charlotte looked up at him;

"what? Like pawning that shit?"

Smiling, he nodded;

"exactly, Lottie". Webster confirmed, "we're taking those over-paid murderers' money".

Nodding slowly, Charlotte flicked away her cigarette;

"aye…I like your perspective better, Web – cheers, man".

Smiling still, Webster clapped her shoulder;

"no problem, Lottie".

"Hey, Sarge?" Janovec stood in front of her, blocking the sun.

And Charlotte let out a tiny sigh of relief.

She looked up at him;

"what?"

"Can I take my shirt off?" He asked, "I figure…I might as well, you know?"

Raising an eyebrow, she asked;

"what? Like getting a tan?"

Janovec shrugged, "sure, why not?"

Sighing, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, sure – why not, Jan. Live your best life on the side of this mountain, eh?"

Grinning, Janoven began to unbutton his shirt.

When he walked away, Charlotte let out a tiny laugh;

"he's a funny kid".

"Yeah". Webster agreed, "he only ever says good stuff about his Sarge".

Sighing a little, her lips twitched;

"that's nice of him". Charlotte mumbled softly.

He shrugged;

"kids got a soft spot for his old Sargent".

Snorting, she said;

"hey – I'm younger than you, mate. I'm not even twenty-one".

"I'll be twenty-three this year".

"Exactly". Charlotte said, "your practically an old man now, Web".

Webster smirked;

"I think I'll take an early retirement".

She huffed out a laugh;

"that's unheard of, man".

Charlotte then added;

"besides, I want a detailed fucking book about sharks, man". She said, "and if you've got the time, I'd like to learn more 'bout them Killer Whales".

Webster shrugged;

"I'll see if I can fit your request in, Lottie".

She pulled a face;

"are you flirting with me, man?"

Webster laughed;

"no, Lottie". He assured her, "sorry if it came across that way".

Looking up at him, she asked;

"what's wrong with me, like?"

His eyes widened a little;

"what? No – nothing! Nothing's wrong with you-"

"I'm kidding". She smiled, giving his arm a nudge, "sorry, man".

He huffed out a sarcastic sort of laugh;

"you had me going there, Lottie".

Clearing his throat, Webster then added;

"I'm not stupid, Lottie".

"Never said you were, pal". She said to him softly, "you're pretty fucking smart, eh?"

Webster's face got a little serious;

"Irena…she wasn't just your friend, was she?" He asked her, in a low voice.

Face forming into a frown, Charlotte looked away from him.

Rubbing her lips together, she said;

"you think the army's stupid for letting me in?"

Shaking his head, Webster's features softened;

"no…they made a smart move".

Sighing, Charlotte looked down at her hands;

"I don't even know where she is, man". She said quietly, "it kills me not knowing, eh? But I'm hoping one day, she'll turn up. And we can live together, with folk thinking we're a couple of spinsters with four dogs".

A smile reached Webster's lips;

"It won't always be like that, Lottie". He said softly, "maybe one day, you'll get to marry her".

Shaking her head, Charlotte looked back up at him;

"we might end this war, Web but it's not 'gonna completely change the world, eh?"

"I don't get it, Lottie". He whispered, "after what we witnessed at the camps, why wouldn't they change their minds?"

Charlotte sighed and shrugged;

"you're asking the wrong person, Web". She mumbled, "some folk think the right way, is a straight and narrow path, eh? And then you get folk like me, who bend that path and branch out to something different. And folk don't like it, cause it's not what they think is normal".

"I don't think anything is normal". Webster said, "war isn't normal, is it? A lot of things are different in every country. Nothing is ever straight and narrow". He then added, "if everything was the same, then the world would be boring as hell".

Charlotte frowned;

"man…you're right, eh? But look how fucked up the world still is, outside of war".

"What do you mean?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte sighed;

"I'm just saying, man. Hitler wasn't the first person to persecute another race".

She shrugged;

"when this war ends, shit needs to fucking change. Or we won for nothing".

**…**

They reached Berchtesgaden by finding another way inside the town, through the autobahn. Easy was the first to reach the place, which was almost deserted. No SS officers were hanging around, but they left a lot of Nazi memorabilia behind. While the enlisted men found a place to stay, in some of the most beautiful houses they had ever seen, Winters found the perfect hotel to set-up Regimental HQ at.

All around them, were snow-capped mountains and ginger-bread houses.

And everything inside the houses, was up for the taking.

Looting began almost immediately. The men even found wine cellars inside their houses, which was an added bonus. Charlotte and a few other Sargent's lived in a home with a bedroom each, two bathrooms and a wine cellar. Martin, Grant and Charlotte immediately opened up a bottle and celebrated their new living conditions. Their celebrations ended quickly, when Speirs headed down into the basement;

"Grant". He greeted, "I need you up with me in the hotel".

"Yes, sir". Grant put his bottle of wine down.

Speirs then looked over at Charlotte;

"uh – you too, Sargent Gallagher".

Following the two men up the stairs and out of the cellar, Speirs then turned to face them both;

"we 'wanna take the Eagles Nest, right?"

"We do". Grant confirmed.

"Good". He said, "Sargent Gallagher will ask for permission".

Charlotte blinked a few times;

"me, sir?"

"Yes". Speirs said, in a matter of fact, "Major Winters will likely agree".

Grant smirked and looked down at her;

"use your natural charm, Lottie". He teased.

She snorted, half amused, half nervous;

"what charm?"

The Captain smiled;

"I'm sure it's in there somewhere, Sargent".

The hotel where Colonel Sink and his men stayed was simply over the top. It was grand, fit enough for the King and his family to spend the night inside. Charlotte stepped inside the hotel in wonderment.

The ceilings were high, the staircase was grand.

And despite everyone clearing the town, the hotel still held the majority of it's belongings. In one of the dining rooms, Welsh and Winters were gathering up silverware cutlery. Charlotte couldn't imagine how much that would sell for. But as well as silverware, she could see ornaments made out of pure gold. Her eyes wandered around the room, until her feet moved without permission. Charlotte crossed the dining room quietly, boots gently padding across the wooden floor. She picked up a rose gold bird; it was a dainty little robin.

Someone cleared their throat, while passing her.

Placing the bird into her pocket, her eyes moved towards Winters and Welsh.

They were both busy stuffing as much silverware into their helmets.

Charlotte wondered why they didn't just take the case it was kept in.

With Speirs giving her a pressing look, she stood at the side of the two officers.

"Major Winters?" Charlotte called out softly.

Looking away from the knives and forks, Winters eyes looked over at her;

"yeah, Lottie?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, she asked;

"can we…can we go see the Nest now, sir?"

Speirs rolled his eyes, knowing that could have gone smoother.

"Hold on a minute, Lottie". Winters told her kindly.

The Major then looked at Welsh;

"Harry, have F Company put a double guard on the hotel. Set up roadblocks on the west side of town. I want Battalion HQ to seal off the north side and prepare for prisoners".

Giving him a nod, Welsh called out;

"Sargent Grant".

"And Harry". Winters added, "nobody gets hurt. Not now".

The sound of Speirs bringing down a Swastika banner interrupted the small moment of silence. He turned over his shoulder, looking back at Winters;

"and Easy?"

"Easy'll head up the mountain through the obersalzberg". Winters responded. "And take the Eagles Nest".

The Major looked back at Charlotte, who seemed a little worried about one thing or another. With a tiny frown still stitched on her face, she looked up at Winters. He gave her a little smile;

"you don't 'wanna go, Lottie?"

"What's up there?" She wondered quietly.

"Not Hitler". Speirs said, as if he was trying to assure her, "probably no one".

Biting her lip, Charlotte looked down at her boots;

"it's 'gonna sound stupid…".

"That's okay". Speirs told her, "we can laugh about it later".

Clearing his throat, Winters asked;

"what is it, Lottie?"

"The thought of climbing up a mountain, eh? Just gives me the fear". Charlotte admitted.

She was met with silence at first.

"What?" Speirs eventually asked, "you jumped out of a plane".

"Aye, I did, sir". Charlotte agreed quietly, "that was…that was great and all but – I 'dunno, do you need work done here, sir?"

Eyebrows twitching, Winters slowly nodded;

"yeah…you could help me with things around here, Lottie".

Sighing quietly, Speirs gave the Major a salute and Charlotte a nod;

"we'll save you some champagne, Sargent Gallagher".

When the Captain left to gather up the eager men from Easy, Winters and Charlotte were the last two remaining inside the dining room. Winters nodded her way;

"you find something, Lottie?"

A small smile reached her lips;

"I did". She said quietly, "it's a wee robin. I'm 'gonna give it to Irena".

Winters felt himself frown;

"is that why you can't go to the Nest?"

Sighing, Charlotte shrugged;

"I reckon I'd lose it up there, sir". She admitted quietly, "best if I just stay here the now, where I'm not reminded of things".

Winters nodded;

"okay, that's fine". He said, "let's get to work".

"What we doing, sir?"

"Well, I have to find houses for my officers". He told her, "and one for myself".

Charlotte felt her lips twitch;

"you want me to find a braw house for you, sir?"

Winters chuckled;

"you think you've got a good eye, Lottie?"

He then added;

"I like the look of the houses scattered along the hillside. I'll put my officers in them. Where should I go, Lottie?"

"How 'bout a nice house in the middle of it all, sir?" Charlotte suggested, "so, like, you're still close to us, eh?"

"Well, if you can find a nice enough house then I'll consider it".

Charlotte smiled;

"you're well picky, eh, sir?"

Winters smirked;

"we deserve nice houses, trooper. We've been fighting long enough for one".

After the Major gave his officers the orders to pick out a house, they also had the responsibility for getting rid of the people living inside the houses. For men like Winters, Speirs and other veterans, that job was easy. But for one new Lieutenant, he couldn't get the couple inside the house to budge.

Winters, Charlotte and Lieutenant Cowing were standing outside the hotel.

After Cowing told Winters;

"I'm sorry, sir. The people said no, they will not move out".

Cowing was brand-new, he didn't witness the camps and he hadn't been hardened by war. So, to set an example, Winters said;

"follow me. Sargent Gallagher will show you how it's done".

The Lieutenant frowned a little and looked down at the girl;

"Sargent Gallagher, sir?"

Charlotte smiled;

"I know, sir. I don't look like much, eh?" She said, "but I'll get you that house".

Lieutenant Cowing looked amused;

"I appreciate your confidence, Sargent".

Frowning a little, she said;

"you're the first person who's ever said that to me, sir".

Approaching the large and stunning house, Winters and Cowing stood a few feet behind Charlotte, while she hammered on the front door. And she continued to hammer against the door, until a woman answered, who looked stern and pissed off.

Lowering her hand, Charlotte said harshly;

"we're moving in now". She practically spat, "raus!"

But the woman didn't budge.

She crossed her arms and raised a thin and light eyebrow.

"No". She answered plainly, "we will not move".

Clearing her throat, Charlotte nodded;

"aye, fair enough". She said, "that's fair…this is your house, eh?"

Shaking her head, she turned around and looked at Winters;

"they don't 'wanna leave, sir". She told him, "guess Lieutenant Cowing will be sleeping outside. That's a right shame, eh? Our Lieutenants 'gonna need extra blankets and that…might be a cold one tonight".

Sighing softly, Charlotte looked back up at the woman;

"did we disturb you?"

She lifted her nose in the air and said;

"we were having coffee".

"With milk and sugar?" Charlotte asked.

The woman nodded;

"yes…and cake".

"Oh God, we're so sorry". She apologised again, "we're such rude American's, aren't we?"

The woman sniffed;

"you demanded us to leave-"

"your house, I know". Charlotte finished off for her quietly, "we're terrible, eh?"

Charlotte then extended her hand;

"here, I'm sorry".

With a raised eyebrow, the woman slowly shook her hand.

Charlotte smiled and tightened her grip against the woman's hand and pulled her towards Charlotte, so she could tell her quietly;

"how's it feel?" She whispered in the woman's ear, "to be shaking hands with a lesbian?"

The woman stiffened.

Charlotte huffed quietly;

"must feel pretty weird, eh? Seeing as you locked us all up…bet you don't feel so fucking pure now, eh?"

The woman yelped and let got of Charlotte's hand.

"You monster!" The woman exclaimed.

Nodding, Charlotte held up her rifle, aiming it towards the woman;

"alright…you and your Nazi husband have five minutes to leave this house. Get the fuck out".

**…**

With Lieutenant Cowing settling into his new home, Charlotte was led around Winters new house. They discovered all the rooms, looked through the bookshelves and checked the cabinets for anything nice to send back home. Charlotte ended the search after fifteen minutes and curled up on the armchair. Wrapping a fluffy blanket around her body, she sighed in content and watch the crackling fire from the fireplace in front of her.

Eyes feeling heavy, they caught sight of Winters placing a hot cup of something on the coffee table in front of the armchair. Smiling, the Major sat down on the couch close to her.

He nodded towards the cup;

"I made you some hot chocolate".

Raising an eyebrow, Charlotte looked towards the cup;

"thanks, sir".

"It's a thank you, for giving my officer the best entertainment since radio".

Snorting, Charlotte sat up and reached for the hot chocolate.

Winters smiled at her;

"so, I had an idea I'd like to run by you".

Blowing into her hot chocolate, Charlotte said softly;

"aye, sir?"

"The war here is ending". He started off by saying, "and providing we don't get redeployed to the Pacific, we'll be going back to Lancaster, correct?"

Charlotte nodded;

"if you still want me, sir".

His lips twitched;

"plans the same, Lottie". Winters told her, "why don't we live in our own place? It'll give us the motivation to start work and live a normal life after…. well, after all of this".

Charlotte nodded again;

"alright, sir". She agreed, "sounds like a good idea".

"I hope you go back to school". Winters said, "were you thinking about that?"

"I was, aye". Charlotte told him, "engineering".

He smiled;

"great idea".

"You thought of what to do?"

Winters shook his head;

"not really". He said quietly, "there's a – uh – well, there's a girl back home maybe".

Charlotte felt her lips twitch;

"maybe?"

Winters sighed;

"I met her during training on leave. I think she has an idea of our future together".

Nodding slowly, Charlotte asked;

"she nice?"

"Yeah". Winters smiled, "she's very nice, Lottie".

"And you's write to each other loads?"

"Have done since we first met". He said, "she was very worried for my safety a few times".

Winters then added quietly;

"all I ask, when this war ends, is for the world to let me alone".

Charlotte smiled softly at him;

"I get it, sir". She said, "would be nice just to live normally again, eh?"

Charlotte wondered what that might be like.

Working a nine till five job. Paying bills and looking after a house.

She smiled.

And figured, that sounded pretty good.


	51. Chapter 50

Charlotte woke up confused the next morning.

She was still curled up in the armchair, where Winters lived. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and let out a tiny yawn. Checking her watch, Charlotte saw that it was almost nine. Frowning, she wondered why Winters didn't wake her and then came to the conclusion that perhaps they had the day off. Charlotte could have curled back up and went back to sleep for an hour, but the man himself soon appeared;

"oh, good, your up". Winters said, "I was 'gonna send in for a medic, to see if you were still breathing". He joked.

Shaking her head, a lazy smile lifted Charlotte's face;

"I'm up, sir". She said, "no need to work our medics today".

"Major Winters?" A familiar voice called.

"In here, Lip".

Charlotte got up from the armchair, blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.

Lipton entered the room, a bright smile on his face;

"morning, Lottie". He greeted, "glad to see you up".

Charlotte used the corner of the blanket to rub the sleep out from her eyes;

"I had a braw sleep, sir". She said to him, "proper nice comfy chair that is".

"You fell asleep after your hot drink". Winters told her, "I was in the middle of telling you a story".

Charlotte huffed;

"now you know how I feel, eh, sir?"

"Get ready". Winters told her, "I 'wanna show you something".

As it turned out, Major Winters had done some exploring that morning. He had come across Herman Goering's officer's quarters and club. Leading Charlotte and Lipton down into the cellar, Charlotte had never seen so much expensive wine and liquor in all her life. All the shelves were stacked up high with bottles. Charlotte snorted and picked up one of the bottles;

"Jesus". She whispered, "this stuff must cost loads of money, eh? Bet it tastes posh too".

Lipton gave her a nod;

"why not take a sip?"

Shrugging, Charlotte popped the bottle open.

Taking a sip, she nodded;

"yup". She said, "tastes like wine…and I hate wine".

Charlotte then added;

"but I'll drink it anyway. Cause it'll piss those bastards off".

After viewing the cellar, Charlotte explored each and every room inside the house. She came across a dead Nazi officer, who had shot himself. Besides from the dead General, Charlotte, Winters and Lipton were the only ones inside the house. Walking into Goering's office, she saw a head statue of Hitler. Charlotte gave the statue a little glare;

"can I destroy it?"

"Hold on, Lottie". Winters told her, "got something else to tell you".

Clearing his throat, he ordered her to;

"stand fast".

Turning to face the Major, Charlotte straightened herself and stood at attention.

A small smile spread across his lips, while Lipton grinned.

"Are you ready?" Winters asked her.

Frowning a little, she nodded;

"aye, sir". She said, "what for?"

"German army surrendered". Winters smiled, "the war in Europe is over".

Charlotte stared up at him, with a blank look.

A moment of silence went by.

She could feel her knees start to shake a little and her mouth felt dry.

Letting out a shaky breath, Charlotte leaned back against the sturdy piece of marble Hitler's head rested upon. She leaned against the pillar too heavily though, and Hitler's head came crashing down onto the ground, breaking the side of his face.

Blinking a few times, she looked behind her.

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"is it?" She whispered.

Lipton smirked;

"you'd better hope it is, after breaking that, buddy".

A short burst of laughter escaped her lips.

Shaking her head, Charlotte looked back over at the officers.

"This is mental". She choked out, "how the fuck did I survive?"

It was a question which lingered among all the men.

And, by the time the news swept around Easy, everyone was in the mood to celebrate. All the wine down in Goering's cellar was shared out between 2nd Battalion and the men were drinking the expensive wine like water. Charlotte sat with her three drinking buddies for the majority of the day. Heffron, Martin and Grant were telling her about the Eagle's Nest.

And they did save her a bottle of champagne.

It almost felt like old times again. Like sitting in that old English pub and drinking rancid warm beer. But of course, it wouldn't be complete without Guarnere. And their conversation did turn towards their friend a few times. Guarnere was going to be okay, as was Toye. They were already making plans to visit Guarnere once the war ended.

"He wants that drink at his local with us". Charlotte told them, "so, we're 'gonna have that drink with him, eh?"

"We are". Martin confirmed, "in good old South Philly".

Heffron smiled;

"you'll get to meet my 'ma too".

Rolling onto her stomach, Charlotte faced the flameless fireplace.

"Me and Winters are 'gonna be living together".

"That's good". Grant said, aware that Charlotte only had Winters left for family back in Lancaster, "what's his plans, Lottie?"

She shrugged;

"he wants to work and that, eh? Just live normally, like we all 'wanna do".

"Do you think that's possible?" Martin questioned quietly, "after everything?"

"Yeah, I do". Grant said, "we all 'wanna go home, right? And if we want something that bad, then it's 'gonna work out".

"We all have scars from war to live with, though". Charlotte reminded her softly, "but I get your point, pal. It is possible".

Sighing, Heffron grabbed a bottle of wine;

"we ain't drunk enough".

"We're not". Martin agreed, "we've got 'till tomorrow".

Charlotte snorted, "we're 'gonna be fucked tomorrow".

Grinning, Grant held up his bottle of wine;

"here's to that day!"

**…**

Charlotte and the men from Easy spent the next week doing nothing but drinking. She went to bed drunk, woke up hungover and then cured that hangover with drinking. It was a vicious circle, but she wasn't alone. On the seventh day, Charlotte had enough of drinking. Waking up on the floor in the living room, surrounded by cushions and empty bottles, she decided enough was enough. Her body was wrecked, and her mind was fuzzy and forgetful.

Charlotte had her own vomit stuck to her hair.

After a long bath, she got dressed and left the house.

Just as she closed the door, Vest called her over;

"morning!"

Flinching, she turned to face the eager man;

"alright, Vest?"

It was only then; did she realise he was carrying a large box.

A smile reached her pale and tired face and Charlotte met him halfway.

"It came?"

"It did". Vest handed her the heavy box, "that guy must really like you, Lottie. You've got around ten bottles".

Charlotte snorted;

"I'm not even sure if it's needed any more, man".

"It's the thought that counts". Vest reminded her, "you given up on day seven?"

"Aye". She said, with a tiny laugh, "think spending seven days straight drunk, is enough time, don't you?"

Vest shrugged;

"hell, Lottie…I'm still fucking drunk".

With the box in her hands, she knocked on Winters front door.

The man answered shortly after and spied the box;

"special delivery service". Charlotte told him, "this is for Captain Nixon, sir".

Huffing out a laugh, Winters eyed her suspiciously;

"are you still drunk?"

"I've given up". She said, with a shrug, "time I start listening to my body, sir".

"Good choice". He approved.

Opening the door wider, Winters let the girl inside.

Treating this as her own home, Charlotte slipped off her boots and wandered into the living room. There, she spotted Nixon sitting on the couch, with a cold and wet cloth over his eyes. He was probably hungover, like the rest of them. Charlotte placed the box down on the coffee table.

Winters walked into the living room shortly after and told his friend;

"Nix, mail for you".

Nixon sighed;

"look, is it from the ex? You can always tell by her handwriting".

"Nope". Winters said, "it's from Lottie".

The cloth left his eyes.

Nixon sat up and noticed the box.

He frowned;

"what's in there?"

With a smile, Charlotte shrugged;

"open it, sir". She suggested.

Leaning forward, Nixon opened the cardboard box. Inside, above straw to protect what was underneath, Nixon found a letter. Curiously, he opened the letter up and read out loud;

_ "Captain Nixon; _

_ It has come to my attention that you rather like our family's brand of whiskey. It has also come to my attention that you have run out of our whiskey. I, being a whiskey man, couldn't imagine anything more annoying. So, seeing as you are out there, fighting off the Huns, I've decided to give you a little present, free of charge. _

_ Enjoy Captain Nixon and God Bless you. _

_ Yours sincerely; _

_ Kenneth Sanderson". _

Huffing softly, Nixon looked at Charlotte.

"What the hell?" He whispered, not quite believing it.

Charlotte shrugged, with a tiny smile;

"I know a guy who knows a lad, sir".

Pulling out the straw, Nixon was met with ten bottles of Vat 69, his favourite type of drink. He chuckled and held one up, almost kissing the glass;

"I didn't know when I'd be seeing this bottle again".

Setting the bottle down carefully, Nixon got onto his feet.

Moving towards Charlotte, he stopped in front of her.

With a large grin, he pulled the girl into a tight hug.

Charlotte huffed into his stomach;

"Jesus". She mumbled, having not expected that reaction from him.

However, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It's alright, sir". Charlotte said to him softly, "you deserve it, eh?"

Nixon choked out a laugh;

"not sure about that, kiddo".

Giving her hair a gentle ruffle, the hug ended.

Nixon sat back down on the couch and picked up his bottle again.

Looking away from Nixon, Charlotte's eyes landed on Winters.

The Captain had already opened the bottle and was taking his first sip, with a content sigh.

"Can I use your bathroom, sir?" Charlotte asked Winters.

"Yup". He replied, "and stop asking, alright?" He added with a tiny smirk.

Smiling back at him, she nodded and headed out of the living room.

Winters sat down on the armchair, eyes drifting towards his friend.

Nixon shook his head;

"she didn't have to do that". He mumbled, "why the hell does she care that much about me?"

Winters shrugged;

"why wouldn't she, Nix?

A moment of silence went by, while Nixon took another sip.

He sighed;

"no idea, Dick". He muttered.

"She looks up to you, Nix". Winters said to him, "she didn't call for me when she got arrested, did she? Lottie called for you. And she didn't run to me with help during my court-martial. She came running to you, Nix".

Bringing out a cigarette, Nixon said;

"she needs a better guy to look up to".

"Oh, I don't know". Winters said, "I think she's smart enough to make up her own mind".

Taking in a drag from his cigarette, Nixon said;

"you do realise the kid loves you, right?"

The Major nodded;

"I know, Nix".

"You're the only family she has left outside of Easy". Nixon said, "so, as her family, tell her to quit looking up to me, huh?" He was letting the humour slip out from his voice.

Winters chuckled;

"if I had any say in how Lottie acted, then I wouldn't let her drink so damn much".

**…**

Ten o'clock the next night, found 2nd Battalion loading up into trucks.

They were bound for Austria, Zell am See.

As always, Charlotte had no idea what it was like over in Austria, but she didn't expect it to be as stunning as some of the places in Germany. When the first rays of sunlight hit the men, they were welcomed in the picturesque town of Zell am See. The morning sun rose up behind the alps and hit the large and clear lake. It was like arriving in heaven.

Zell am See, _was_ heaven on earth.

The men of Easy found houses around the town, many houses near the lake. Charlotte and 2nd Platoon found themselves a large farmhouse to live in. It sat near the forest and only a few feet away from the lake. Winters set up HQ in a large hotel, looking over the lake. It was grand and luxurious but not over the top, like the one in Berchtesgaden.

Never in her life had Charlotte seen such beauty.

Especially in the woman.

They were absolutely stunning; Charlotte was sure Grant was drooling.

The war truly did feel over.

To further celebrate, a handful of men jumped into the lake. The sun had warmed up the water, giving them a pleasant swim. Webster had even written to his parents to bring him a pair of swimming trunks and he refused to go in the water without them. But Charlotte was having none of that. Webster was standing on the deck, watching his friends swimming around and having a good time. When Charlotte ran up to him, wrapped her arms around his waist and tossed them both into the lake.

Webster got the shock of his life.

He came up to the surface, gasping for air;

"why?!" He yelled.

Charlotte grinned;

"you looked pure sad watching us have fun, man".

Webster wiped the water from his eyes;

"dammit, Lottie!"

Charlotte leaned back, until she was floating and staring up at the blue and clear sky.

Shrugging, Webster figured he'd join her;

"thanks for pushing us in". He told her, after a few moments.

She smiled;

"you're welcome, Web".

After a morning swim, the men settled back into their farmhouse. Webster made them iced tea, loaded with alcohol and it was the most refreshing drink, Charlotte had ever tasted. She sat on the balcony, sipping on an iced tea and stared out at the view in front of her. Many mountains and the crystal blue lake is what her eyes saw.

Lounging next to her was Grant.

The pair of them clinked their glasses together.

"This is the life". Grant commented, through a content sigh.

"Sure is, man".

Charlotte put on a pair of sunglasses she had found inside the house.

Leaning back on the deck chair, she took another sip from her drink.

Smiling, Grant looked away from her;

"we're living like the damn Royal family".

Charlotte chuckled quietly;

"almost, Chuck". She mumbled, "we don't have butlers, do we?"

"That can be arranged". He said, "let's see what Jan's up to".

"Hey – don't be a dick, man". She said, with a chuckle. "Leave my kid alone".

Grant laughed;

"I'm kidding, of course".

"Of course".

A moment of silence went by.

Save the singing of a bird, who flew by their balcony.

"Have you seen the DP's?" Grant asked her, "the survivors from the camp?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"not yet, no". She replied, "how?"

"Oh, we're 'gonna see them tonight". Grant informed her, "we got them some nice places to live. Austrians ain't so happy about that".

Charlotte snorted;

"they wouldn't, eh?"

Turning to face her again, Grant told her;

"you should go". He said, "everyone's 'gonna be there".

"Where'd the survivors come from?"

"All over". Grant told her quietly, "they're mainly Polish, German and Russian".

That sparked some interest within Charlotte.

Lowering her sunglasses down to her nose, she looked at Grant;

"Polish?"

He nodded;

"yeah, loads of them". His lips twitched, "you thinking about going now?"

Rubbing her lips, Charlotte looked away from Grant.

Shaking her head, she covered her eyes with the glasses again;

"nah, man". Charlotte mumbled, "I don't 'wanna get disappointed if she's not there".

Grant frowned;

"I don't get it, Lottie". He said, "I mean, I get that she's your friend, you know? But if I knew my friend might be there, I'd go and see, you know?"

Leaning back against the chair, Charlotte went quiet.

Grant sat up and turned to face her;

"maybe it's different for girls…I 'dunno. I still don't understand women".

Giving her head a tiny shake, she mumbled;

"it's not". She whispered, "it's just different for me".

Taking in a deep breath, Charlotte took off the sunglasses.

Sitting up, she swirled around until she was facing Grant.

Clasping her hands together, she said;

"I don't think I've outright told anyone, eh?" She said, "except from that German lassie…".

Grant frowned;

"told anyone what?"

Biting her lower lip and trying to put words together, she started off by saying;

"I guess…it's never easy, eh?"

Grant's frown deepened.

Leaning forward, he took her hand;

"you can tell me anything, Lottie".

"Can I?" She whispered, tears reaching her eyes, "hope you react like I think you will, Chuck".

Grant shrugged;

"what could be worse than war, Lottie?"

Charlotte searched his eyes, looking for a lie.

"I used to hate myself, Chuck". She whispered, "used to think I was so fucking wrong, you know? Cause people paint us to be evil and I always thought I was…thought I'd end up in hell, or some shit. And when I joined Easy, and I was around all you brilliant lads, I figured I might just end up in hell".

Licking her bottom lip, a tear rolled down her cheek;

"but…then Bill found me kissing another woman".

Grant's hand tightened in hers.

She sniffed;

"one of the best things about Bill, is his open mind, you know? He didn't care, Chuck. He didn't love me any less, eh? Still my best pal…hope you are too".

Letting go of her hand, Grant reached forward and wiped the tear away from her cheek;

"course I am, Lottie". He murmured, "I think you're pretty brave for telling me, you know".

"It was actually pretty easy, man". She said tearfully, "you're like Bill, eh?"

Giving her a soft smile, Grant placed his hand on her shoulder;

"if you don't 'wanna look for her down there, then I will".

With a tiny smile of her own, Charlotte nodded.

And felt grateful, to have a friend like Grant.


	52. Chapter 51

On the anniversary of D-Day, Captain Speirs announced that they were being redeployed to the Pacific. For those who were allowed to leave, had to have the required eighty-five points. The points system didn't feel like a good idea for Charlotte. A lot of the men who had been around since Normandy didn't have the required points to leave, for some hadn't been injured. However, they did hold a lottery, allowing one man from each Company to go home.

Shifty Powers won the lottery from Easy.

They were starting training again. Six days a week, from morning till night.

And with that, 2nd Platoon were placed on guard duty at the crossroads.

Checkpoint duty was always boring. Considering what they used to do.

And Charlotte thought her fighting days were over in Europe. She figured she'd never have to shoot another German again because the army had surrendered. But that wasn't the case. On that same day after the ceremony, once she and the men were changed out from the Class A uniforms, Speirs approached her.

"Take Webster and Sisk". He told her, "we have information on the whereabouts of a commandant from one of the death camps. One of the Polish guys pointed him out. They're sure it's him. We also have more information regarding his whereabouts. He wasn't always a resident in the cabin he stays in. And once he confesses to you, shoot him".

Charlotte's eyebrows twitched;

"what?" She whispered.

Speirs sighed;

"you heard me, Sargent". He pressed, "shoot him. You're the right person for the job. Get it done".

Charlotte didn't think she was the right person for the job. It was far too personal for her to deal with. She had no problems with shooting a camp commandant, but Charlotte did worry that they'd mistaken this supposed camp commandant.

Captain Speirs gave her a knowing look;

"well? Quit standing there. Get your men ready".

Charlotte quickly gathered Webster and Sisk. The three of them got into a jeep, where Charlotte began to drive them away from the town and towards the rural parts of Austria. She didn't say anything for a few moments until they hit a country road.

Sighing, she eventually told them;

"the DP's have pointed out a camp commandant". She said, "Speirs wants me to kill him".

Pulling a face, Webster, who was in the back, leaned forward;

"how do they know it's not some officer?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"the Polish guy saw him at the camp he was placed in".

She then added;

"I'm 'gonna question him first".

"You don't speak German". Webster pointed out.

"He'll probably speak English". Charlotte said, "most of them do".

Driving in silence again for a few minutes, Charlotte broke it once more;

"you two stay outside". She told them, "we don't want him frightened".

Sisk rolled his eyes;

"fuck him, Lottie". He muttered, "who gives a shit if we frighten him".

"I do". Charlotte said firmly, "he'll not talk if he's scared, Skinny".

"Does Major Winters know about this, Lottie?" Webster asked, still sceptical.

She shrugged;

"no idea, man". Charlotte mumbled, "I fucking hope so".

Even she felt uneasy about all of this.

Charlotte didn't know if she could fully trust herself.

But it was an order and she had to follow it.

Cutting the engine, Charlotte jumped out of the jeep and began to walk towards a tiny cabin perched on the edge of the hill. She couldn't see anyone outside, tending to the sheep, who seemed to scatter away, when the three Paratroopers approached the small cabin.

Webster and Sisk hid behind the corner of the cabin, while Charlotte knocked on the front door.

Like she had imagined, she received an answer within a few seconds of knocking.

A middle-aged man answered.

He was wearing a white vest, suspenders and dark trousers.

And he smiled at Charlotte;

"hallo". He greeted warmly, "wie viele helfe ich Ihnen?"

Giving him the smallest smile back, she asked;

"do you speak English?"

He nodded;

"sorry". He apologised, "I do…but only plainly".

"That's okay, sir". Charlotte assured him, while reaching into her pocket and grabbing her notepad and pencil, "I have to ask you a few questions, sir".

"What about, dear?"

"If you're happy with the current curfew". Charlotte said, "we're planning on changing our curfew again, sir and my commanding officer has sent me around nearby houses to check in on how you all might feel about that, sir".

He smiled and nodded;

"of course, dear". He opened his door wider, "come inside – would you like something to drink?"

"A water would be fine, sir". Charlotte replied, while entering the cabin. "I think I've done enough drinking".

"Ah, yes". He chuckled, "the war has ended, yes? Did you all have a big party?"

Shrugging, she sat down on the chair by the kitchen table;

"I guess, sir". Charlotte said, "I drank a lot of wine".

Humming in amusement, the man poured out a glass of water for her.

Sitting the glass down in front of her, he sat down opposite Charlotte.

After taking a sip of water, Charlotte opened up her notepad;

"so, my commanding officer suggested two times, sir". She said, "1800 hours until 0600 hours, or 1900 hours until 0700 hours?"

"Ah – well, I might suggest the first". He said, "for many work early here…especially farmers, like me, dear".

Charlotte looked around the cabin, with a soft smile;

"have you lived here long, sir?"

He nodded;

"yes…all my life". He told her, "now, do you mind if I ask my own question?"

She nodded;

"of course, sir".

"You are…a girl, yes? And you fight with American Paratroopers?" He said, "why did they allow it?"

"My dad was a Colonel during the great war, sir". She told him, "he managed to get me in".

He smiled;

"I too was an officer in the Great War". He said brightly, "it was indeed…a great war".

"It was supposed to end all wars". Charlotte mumbled, "guess that didn't happen".

He sighed;

"not all wars are bad, dear". He mumbled softly, "it's good to get rid of the evil".

Eyebrows twitching, she asked;

"you didn't fight in this war, sir?"

"I did". He said, "just an officer, dear".

Giving him a brief smile, she asked;

"do you smoke, sir?"

He smiled;

"yes".

Reaching into her pocket, she brought out a cigarette;

"try one of these, sir". She said, "I picked them up".

Placing the cigarette between his lips, he lit it up and smiled;

"ah…German cigarettes".

Charlotte lit up her own cigarette;

"ever been to Vienna, sir?"

"Of course". He replied, "Austria's capital".

"Locals tell me it's a good place". She mumbled, "I've spoken to a few locals. Some of them are nicer than others".

He laughed;

"yes…you find that a lot here, dear".

Smiling still, he asked her;

"you are not American?"

Charlotte shook her head;

"I was born and raised in Scotland, sir. Until we moved to America".

"I have never been to Scotland". He said, "I heard it is beautiful".

"Oh, aye". Charlotte confirmed, "Scotland is magic, sir. The highlands are stunning and Edinburgh, it's full of history".

He chuckled;

"more magical than Austria, dear?"

Smiling, she asked;

"why'd you lie, sir?"

He pulled a confused but amused face;

"about what, dear? You do not think Austria is more beautiful than-"

"nah…nah, not 'bout that". Charlotte said lowly, while leaning towards him. "See this cabin? The one you claim to have lived in, all your life. It was owned by an elderly couple, who died last year. They didn't have any children and the only family they had, was the wife's sister, who lives near the farm I'm staying in".

Face slightly dropping, he stubbed out his cigarette;

"what of it?" He muttered, "you cannot arrest me for lying, dear".

Shaking her head, Charlotte told him;

"it's just a bit funny…why you felt the need to lie". She said, "now, if you just moved in, then it would have easier to tell the truth, yes? So, why do you feel the need to lie?"

His hand slammed against the table;

"what is the meaning of this?!" He demanded.

Charlotte pulled a face;

"why are you yelling? I'm not yelling, am I?"

Sighing, he lowered his voice;

"very well". He said quietly, "what is the meaning of your visit?"

Leaning back, Charlotte stared up at him.

And she was quiet for a few moments, just thinking of her next move.

"Why don't we start with a simple question". She suggested, "where are you really from?"

His eyes shifted away from hers;

"Vienna". He said, "I moved here…because the Russian's will kill us all".

Nodding slowly, Charlotte repeated softly;

"Vienna".

"That's right". He said, the kind tone from his voice gone; "that's what I am telling you".

Charlotte shook her head;

"that's strange". She mumbled, "you don't sound like you're from there".

Sighing, she then added;

"wherein Germany are you from?"

His hand balled up into a fist;

"Munich".

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Charlotte told him softly, "next question. Why are you hiding?"

"From Russians". He hissed, "they will kill us all".

"Do you think the Russian's have it in for each and every German? Or perhaps the other type of German?"

His face turned serious;

"other type of German?"

Charlotte nodded;

"yeah…you know, the types that feel it best to murdered millions of Jews, gypsies, political prisoners…homosexuals?"

"I played no part in that".

"I never said you did". Charlotte pointed out, "why assume I was talking about you?"

Blinking, the man suddenly looked angry;

"do not try to twist my mind!" He yelled, "I played no part in that!"

"No part in what?" Charlotte asked him.

"In getting rid of those Jews!"

Nodding slowly, she continued to stare up at him;

"getting rid of?"

His eyes narrowed;

"yes". He hissed, "getting rid of".

"Getting rid of". She repeated softly.

He slammed his hand against the table;

"YES! GETTING RID OF!"

Charlotte nodded;

"I heard you". She said quietly, "what do you mean by getting rid of? Like, getting rid of the rubbish? Getting rid of a painting you don't like? Getting rid of the mud from your boots?"

Rubbing her lips together, she leaned towards him again;

"getting rid of?" Charlotte whispered, "it's not the words I'd use to describe what I saw in the camp. I'd say it was more…murder. A serious act of murder. Wouldn't you?"

The anger seemed to leave his eyes.

And Charlotte hated that moment.

A sickening feeling reached her gut.

Sighing, she asked;

"why?"

"God will forgive me". He whispered.

Charlotte shook her head;

"you can't put forgiveness to a guy who lives in the fucking sky, man. What if he's not listening, eh? And even if he is, then why the hell would he allow this? What kind of person would think that was right?"

He didn't reply.

Charlotte clenched her jaw;

"I can't understand it". She whispered, "I'm glad I can't. I wouldn't 'wanna be down there with you – fucking hell!"

Hands slamming against the table, she got up;

"get on your knees – now!" Charlotte yelled.

He looked at her;

"you won't do it". He said, with a smile, "you will not shoot me".

And he was right.

The monster was right.

Charlotte's hands were shaking.

Biting down on her quivering lip, she looked towards the door;

"someone get in here!"

The German quickly got on his feet and ran for the door.

"Fuck". Charlotte cursed, following after him.

Sisk and Webster presented themselves.

"He's guilty!" She said, "get him!"

Outside, they saw the man run up the hill.

Sisk lined up his target and pulled the trigger.

The monster went down.

The journey back to the farm was quiet.

Charlotte didn't say a single word.

After placing Webster on crossroads duty to take over for Janovec, Charlotte walked over to the farm and found Speirs standing outside with Grant. When the Captain spotted her walking towards him, he felt himself frown. Her eyes were filled with tears and her hands were shaking.

She gave him a nod;

"it's done". She mumbled thickly, "that was him".

Speirs gave her a firm nod;

"good job, Sargent".

Feeling her bottom lip quiver, Charlotte pushed back the tears, preventing them from spilling over her eyes. The Captain continued to stare at her;

"what is it?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte felt her shoulders drop;

"I couldn't do it". She whispered, sounding ashamed. "I couldn't kill that fucking monster".

Speirs felt his frown deepen.

"I 'dunno why". Charlotte croaked, "he fucking deserved it but…I 'dunno, just didn't feel right".

Sighing softly, Speirs said to her;

"it's fine". He told her, "he's dead, right? That was your order".

Charlotte was beginning to think Speirs didn't like her for some reason.

He got along well with Grant.

But Charlotte figured she could have been feeling sensitive.

Giving him a nod and salute, she left the farm and headed over to HQ.

However, she never reached the hotel, for someone informed her;

"Winters wants a transfer out of Battalion".

The bad news didn't stop there.

An ambulance and a jeep pulled up in front of the farm.

Janovec was lying lifeless on a stretcher, while a medic pulled a blanket over his body. Charlotte raced towards the scene and felt her shoulders drop;

"oh, no". She moaned.

"Car accident". Webster told her quietly, "I tried to – I couldn't save him, Lottie".

Charlotte let out a tearful sigh;

Men shouldn't be dying now.

Not when the war in Europe was over.

**…**

A few days after Janovec's death, found Charlotte sitting on the deck.

Her legs hung over the side, nowhere near the water.

The sun was beginning to set, lowering behind the mountains.

Sunrises and sunsets were always so beautiful in Zell am See.

Apart of Charlotte never wanted to leave this gorgeous country.

"Hey, trooper".

Winters greeted, while sitting down next to her.

"Haven't seen you in a few days". He commented.

Which was true, Charlotte was childishly avoiding him.

Throwing a stone into the water, she mumbled;

"been busy".

"Captain Speirs has you all on a tight training schedule". He pointed out, "I'd expect you to be busy, Lottie".

Noticing the look across her face, Winters asked her;

"what's going on?"

Charlotte shrugged;

"nothing, sir".

"I know that's a lie". He raised an eyebrow, "how about the truth this time, Charlotte".

Sighing, Charlotte threw another stone into the lake;

"I'm mad at you…sir".

Winters frowned;

"that's not good". He said, "why's that?"

She felt her eyes sting with unleashed tears and dropped her head.

"You're 'gonna leave". Charlotte mumbled thickly, "and that hurts me loads".

Clearing his throat, Winters nodded;

"yeah…that was true".

Charlotte glared at her legs;

"you didn't tell me, sir".

"I didn't". Winters admitted, "I should have but I didn't 'wanna tell you, until I knew what was happening".

"Aye but – I would have gone with you". She said, "cause you're my family, sir".

His face softened.

Charlotte sniffed;

"and I love you – so, aye…family sticks together, eh?"

Clearing his throat, Winters said;

"well, you'll be happy to know that my transfer got denied".

Charlotte's eyes widened a little.

"So, looks like neither of us are going anywhere, Charlotte Gallagher".

She could feel her lips twitch slightly.

Slowly, Charlotte looked up at him;

"you're not just saying that?"

Huffing softly, Winters shook his head;

"no, I'm telling you the truth, Lottie".

With a smile lifting her face, Charlotte wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into his side;

"I'm happy, sir".

Winters snorted;

"I know you are, Lottie".

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders;

"and I love you too, buddy".

** …**

When the sun well and truly set behind the mountains, the men of Easy headed back to their houses. The town of Zell am See settled in for bed. They closed their curtains, served supper and had one last family meal, before turning in for the night. Charlotte was on her way back to the farm, with Winters a few feet behind her, preparing to enter the hotel. When Nixon suddenly walked out of the hotel and called for Charlotte;

"Lottie!"

Turning back around, she walked towards the man;

"Captain Nixon?"

"Need a word, kiddo".

Confused, she headed towards the hotel, Winters looked a little confused as well.

"What's this about, Nix?" Winters asked him.

The Captain nodded towards Charlotte;

"follow me".

Walking inside the hotel, Nixon led her and Winters into one of the living areas.

A woman was sitting on a chair, with her back to them.

She had a shaven head but wore clothes, which looked brand new.

The woman was one of the DP's, Charlotte could tell.

Frowning, she looked up at Nixon.

He gave her a tiny and encouraging smile;

"go on, kiddo".

Winters looked a tad concerned.

And he gave Nixon that same concerned look;

"is this a good idea?" He whispered to his friend.

"Yup". He whispered back, "this is a good idea, Dick".

Feeling nervous, Charlotte slowly walked towards the woman.

She was still and didn't move, not even upon hearing Charlotte's gentle footsteps.

Once behind her, Charlotte placed a quiet hand on the woman's shoulder.

And very slowly, the woman looked up and met Charlotte's eyes.

"Hello, Charlotte". She whispered, with tears in her eyes. "It's been a long time, has it not?"

Charlotte fell to her knees.

Her hand slowly fell from the woman's shoulder and handed on her arm;

"Mrs Sosnowska?"

It was Irena's mother.

"Mrs Sosnowska". She repeated quietly, "you're…you're okay?"

The older woman slowly shook her head;

"no". She croaked, a few tears falling from her eyes, "I am not".

She sniffed and added;

"but I am…alive".

Charlotte felt her bottom lip quiver;

"aye…you are". She mumbled tearfully.

Mrs Sosnowska's hand went to cover her mouth;

"my sweet Irena". She cried quietly into her hand, "she has left this earth".

A few silent tears rolled down Charlotte's face.

Mrs Sosnowska sniffed;

"and now we must live in a world without our beautiful Irena".

Feeling her face crumble, Charlotte buried herself into Mrs Sosnowska's lap.

The woman's hand fell onto the top of Charlotte's head;

"I have cried many tears". She said, "but tears…they are never big enough for Irena".

A soft sob fell out from Charlotte.

"I pray that Irena is in heaven". Mrs Sosnowska whispered, "a place where she can no longer feel pain, starvation and suffering. I pray she is in a place where she feels full and loved again".

The woman leaned down and kissed Charlotte's head;

"she loved us, Charlotte". She whispered, "and we will always love her".

It took a few minutes for Charlotte to get a better hold of herself.

Lifting her head, with tears still sticking to her cheeks, she stared up at Mrs Sosnowska.

The woman had a tearful smile when their eyes met;

"at the end of it, all…we were meant to see each other again".

Charlotte swallowed back another sob.

Mrs Sosnowska kissed Charlotte's forehead;

"my sweet Irena will live in our hearts forever, Charlotte".

Sniffing, Charlotte pulled back.

Wiping some tears away, she then reached into her pocket and pulled out the dainty rose gold little robin. Placing it into Mrs Sosnowska's hands, she told her softly;

"it made me think of Irena".

Mrs Sosnowska looked at the bird;

"yes…I can see that". She whispered, "Irena was a winter baby".

Charlotte nodded;

"aye". She croaked, "well, it's for you".

Placing a hand on the side of Charlotte's face, Mrs Sosnowska smiled;

"you were always her favourite person".

Captain Nixon had done a great thing.

Charlotte lost Irena.

Mrs Sosnowska lost her daughter and her husband.

And Charlotte still felt grateful, to have seen Irena's mother one last time.

When Mrs Sosnowska left the hotel, Charlotte stood before Nixon.

Giving him a nod, she felt tears reach her eyes all over again;

"cheers". She whispered.

"I'm sorry, Lottie". He whispered back.

Shaking her head, Charlotte cleared the lump away from her throat;

"Mrs Sosnowska's right, sir". She mumbled, "Irena's somewhere nice, eh? Like – like heaven or whatever. And she's probably feeling loads better".

Charlotte wiped her face;

"can always rely on you, eh, sir?"

Huffing out a tiny laugh, Nixon shook his head.

Letting out a small and shaky sigh, Charlotte cleared her throat;

"right". She said, "eh – thanks again, sir".

Nixon placed a hand on her shoulder;

"I'm glad you called me when you needed bailing out from jail".

Charlotte felt her lips twitch;

"aye". She whispered, "me too, sir".


	53. Chapter 52

The only word she could say in English was;

"hello".

But the attraction was shared between them almost immediately.

Dark hair, dark eyes and a smile to die for.

Charlotte called her Megan, as her name sounded similar to Megan. And she responded to Megan. Though, very few words were exchanged between them, as they spent the majority of their time together kissing deeply and passionately.

Megan lived with her younger sister, who slept in a small room down the stairs. Megan had set up a nice room in the attic. Charlotte was shown to the attic pretty quickly within meeting the Polish woman. She didn't know how old Megan was, Charlotte would have guessed mid-twenties, as her little sister looked only a year younger than Charlotte.

Their clothes landed on the floor.

The pair of them lay down in bed.

It was way past curfew. Charlotte wasn't aware of the time. Megan wasn't aware of the time. No one knew where they were, so, it didn't matter what time it was. Charlotte wasn't thinking about much else, expect the heat of the moment.

Holding each other in moments of pleasure and passion, their time ended.

Charlotte smiled, while staring up at the ceiling.

Megan lit up a cigarette.

She was panting, smiling and speaking softly in Polish.

Turning to face her, Charlotte smiled;

"me too".

Megan placed her hand on the back of Charlotte's neck.

She said something else, before their lips met.

When the kiss ended, Charlotte whispered;

"it's so good".

"It…so…good". Megan repeated back to her.

Her lips twitched; Charlotte nodded;

"yeah".

Charlotte left Megan's house and made the walk back to the farm.

With a large grin on her face, her mind drifted into happier moments.

She truly felt like a new person, after spending the night with Megan.

Zell am See was sleeping.

But Charlotte practically skipped down the road, while soft rain fell onto her head.

Her boots gently tapped against the cobbled street. She walked by a few houses, until she turned up towards the small country path, which would lead her back to the farm. However, the sound of a short scream caused Charlotte to still.

It was a woman; she was sure of it.

She heard the scream again.

Charlotte's eyes moved towards a cluster of trees, where she was sure the scream was coming from. Holding up her rifle, she moved into the trees and searched for the scream. Charlotte soon heard a few distressed moans and the rustle of leaves and bushes.

Stepping towards a bush, she moved the branches and saw a sight she hadn't come across before. It made her feel sick to the stomach and the happy feeling was soon gone, replaced by dread and a huge amount of anger. Charlotte took the safety off her rifle;

"get off her". She demanded.

The guy was obviously drunk.

Because he laughed;

"m'caught". He slurred.

"Aye, you are". Charlotte hissed, "get the fuck off her, or I'll shoot you".

She was even more disturbed to see it was an American from the 506th, who was trying to rape this poor young woman. And when he didn't move, Charlotte grabbed a hold of his shoulder and pulled him off the frightened woman. The guy fell to the ground, with a thud.

With the drunk scum on the ground, Charlotte knelt in front of the woman.

"It's okay". She assured her calmly, "I'll walk you back home, we'll get you cleaned up".

The woman grabbed onto Charlotte's jacket, sobbing out words in a different language.

Charlotte did her best to calm the woman down.

She was well aware; her back was to the drunk guy.

But Charlotte figured he was too drunk to do anything.

However, she was very wrong.

Charlotte didn't hear the shot being fired out, not right away.

She didn't have much time to react, for seconds after that shot was fired, Charlotte felt a horrible burning pain in her back. She went down like a sack of potatoes, too shocked to react for the first few moments. Breathing quickly, her eyes looked up towards the dark and cloudy sky. Charlotte could only feel the shock. She didn't feel any pain, just the shock of it all. The woman started to scream again. Charlotte tried to reach out;

"s'okay". She mumbled, voice weak, "I'll get you…you help".

"HEY! DON'T MOVE!" Someone yelled.

Charlotte recognised that voice.

It belonged to Martin.

Blinking a few times, her lips parted;

"J-Johnny?"

Someone had tackled the drunk guy to the ground, she could hear hard punches hitting flesh. Blocking her view from the sky was Martin, her drinking buddy. He stared at her, trying to keep his eyes calm but Charlotte could see the worry in them;

"been shot". She choked out, "back".

"Okay". Martin's voice shook, "alright – we'll get you out of here. Huh? We'll get you help".

Charlotte nodded her head slightly.

"Bull!" Martin called for him, "help me move Lottie!"

She was shaking now;

"what's…what's going on?"

Shaking his head, Martin took her hand;

"nothing, pal". He told her softly, "we was just patrolling, huh?"

She gave a faint nod;

"aye…".

Martin's smile was small and brittle;

"need anything?"

"No". Charlotte said, "think…think I need a doctor".

"Yeah, that's alright". Martin said softly, "we're 'gonna get you a doctor".

Turning to his side, he then ordered;

"you two, get that piece of shit back to the farm!"

The two replacements from Martin's squad took away the drunken guys weapon and dragged him away. Martin didn't know any other way around it, expect to pick her up. And he carefully did, though, Charlotte didn't make any noise, indicating that she was in pain. Martin could feel the blood in his arms, coming from her back. And he felt sick. She was too young to die.

Bull was standing next to him;

"we've 'gotta be quick". He mumbled, "she's bleeding".

"I know". Martin said, with a tiny tremble. "I can feel it".

Charlotte moaned quietly;

"I feel woozy".

Martin looked down at her;

"it's alright, kid". He cooed, "you're 'gonna be fine".

They began jogging quickly down the path.

But Martin wasn't heading for the farmer, he was heading for HQ.

Their Battalion doctors lived there; it gave Charlotte a better chance of surviving the wound. The officers inside the hotel were already up, having just received the news of Grant, who had been shot in the head, by the same person who shot Charlotte. Martin and Bull stood in the main entrance;

"we need a doctor!" Martin yelled.

His yell reached the ears of Lipton first, who was only in the other room.

When he saw Charlotte, his eyes widened;

"oh, shit". He whispered. "Lay her down". He instructed them, "put her on the table – I'll get the doctor".

Martin entered one of the living areas.

Bull shoved all the plates and glasses off the table.

They crashed onto the ground.

Martin gently placed her on the table.

Giving her a tiny smile, he smoothed her hair off her forehead;

"okay, Lottie?"

"I 'dunno". She whispered.

Charlotte's face had turned a horrible shade of white.

She was trying to fight off the shock and not pass out from the blood loss.

But it was getting harder with every passing second.

Lipton arrived with a doctor.

As well as the doctor, Winters was running into the room.

He didn't mean to push Martin out of the way, but the man was extremely worried.

Charlotte could see that worry in his eyes.

And, as soon as she saw his face, her calm composure broke.

"I'm scared". She cried quietly.

"It's okay". Winters took her hand, "it's 'gonna be okay".

A tiny sob burst out from her;

"I'm scared". She cried again.

The doctor injected Charlotte with plasma, to stop her blood pressure from dropping low.

"Call the ambulance". The doctor ordered someone, "we need to move her now – she needs surgery".

Charlotte's heart picked up;

"sir?" She sounded truly terrified. "Sir – I don't 'wanna…I don't 'wanna-"

"I'm right here, Lottie". Winters assured her, "I'm not leaving you".

Charlotte grabbed his jacket sleeve;

"will I wake up?" She cried quietly, "what if…what if I don't?"

Martin felt a few tears roll down his face.

With a sniff, he wiped them away.

Winters placed his hand on her forehead;

"I'll be there when you wake up". He promised her, "I'll be right there, buddy".

Charlotte's throat went tight.

She could feel a horrible, sickening feeling in her stomach.

Coughing, she choked and gagged.

Carefully, Winters and the doctor rolled Charlotte onto her side, so she wouldn't choke on her own vomit. What came out from her mouth, gave the doctor a small amount of hope. She wasn't puking up blood. Meaning, the bullet hadn't cut into any organs. Charlotte wasn't bleeding internally.

Winters gave the top of her back a gentle rub;

"it's alright, trooper". He assured her.

The doctor gave the men around him a tiny nod;

"she's 'gonna be fine". He assured the men, "she's in shock but the plasma will start working soon".

Moments after she finished vomiting, Nixon entered the room.

His face dropped;

"Lottie?"

Looking over his shoulder, Winters sent him a tiny nod;

"doc say's she's 'gonna be fine".

"What happened?" He almost demanded.

Martin sniffed and cleared his throat;

"same guy got Lottie in the back".

Nixon's eyes hardened;

"did you find him?"

"We did". Bull replied, "piece of shit's back at the farm".

"You two head back". Winters ordered the two Sargent's, "Lottie's 'gonna be alright. But I need you both back at the farm".

Martin's eyes looked towards Charlotte.

Letting out a shaky breath, he told her;

"I'll see you soon, Lottie".

Charlotte spat out the bile from her mouth;

"m'kay". She mumbled.

When the two Sargent's left, Charlotte was rolled back onto her back.

"Can I have a tissue?" She asked, in a croaky voice.

"Of course, trooper". Winters eyes looked over at Lipton, "Lip?"

The 2nd Lieutenant blinked a few times and looked away from Charlotte;

"sir?" He asked quietly.

"Get Lottie a tissue".

The front door from the hotel suddenly burst open;

"hello?!" A voice called, "ambulance is here!"

"We're in here!" The doctor called back, "get the stretcher!"

Lipton handed Winters the tissue, who then wiped Charlotte's mouth, nose and eyes.

"Sir?" She whispered.

Winters took her hand again;

"yeah, Lottie?"

Her bottom lip trembled;

"can't feel my legs".

**…**

Charlotte was placed in the back of the ambulance with Winters by her side.

The Major had given orders for Nixon and Welsh to keep on top of things.

When the doors shut, Winters placed an oxygen mask over Charlotte's nose and mouth. She was instructed to breathe normally and try to "relax". Which was near impossible, when she started feeling the intense and burning pain in her lower back. Because she couldn't move her legs, or any part of her from the waist down, Charlotte's upper half squirmed from the pain.

"Try and stay still". Winters told her, "we don't want the bullet to move".

Charlotte's body stilled.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It hurts". She cried softly.

His frown deepened;

"I know, buddy". He mumbled, "you won't feel anything soon, alright? They're 'gonna get you some morphine to help with the pain".

Charlotte felt dizzy again.

And nauseous.

Closing her eyes, she tried to take in a few deep and calming breaths.

But her racing heart wouldn't allow that.

Charlotte placed her hand on Winters wrist, removing the oxygen mask from her face.

"I'm 'gonna be sick".

It was a fast and bumpy road to the hospital.

Charlotte managed to vomit everywhere.

Including on Winters lap.

Not that the Major minded and Charlotte was in too much pain to care.

Feeling lightheaded, Winters carefully lay her back down and placed the oxygen mask over her face again;

"nice and easy, trooper". He reminded her, "we're almost there".

Giving her head a tiny nod, Charlotte took deep breaths in threw the mask.

She felt her eyes slip shut a few times.

Winters would give her hand a squeeze;

"don't sleep yet, trooper". He told her softly, "it's not time".

"Not…not lights out?" She croaked weakly.

Feeling his eyes well-up with tears, Winters shook his head;

"not yet, Lottie".

"Sir?" She whispered.

Blinking back the tears, he looked back at her.

"Can we…get a dog?" Charlotte asked him weakly.

A small and brittle smile reached his lips;

"as many as you want". Winters whispered back.

When they reached the hospital, Charlotte was carried inside by the stretcher.

Winters still had a hold of that oxygen mask, with the tube of oxygen in the other hand.

And Charlotte was getting tired, too tired to notice all the loud noises of doctors and nurses rushing back and forth. Or their doctor calling out for a surgeon. Charlotte didn't even notice Speirs and Roe, who had arrived an hour before Charlotte. Grant required a brain surgeon. And Charlotte required a surgeon too.

Winters didn't have time to explain to Speirs what had happened.

He was too busy running down the corridor with Charlotte.

But soon, a doctor took the oxygen out from Winters hands;

"please". The German doctor told him, "we will operate now".

"Okay". Winters whispered, "look after her".

"Yes". He replied, "we will do our best".

The Major didn't like that answer.

Charlotte opened one eye to look at him.

"Sir?"

He leaned down;

"I'll see you soon, trooper". Winters told her quietly, "I'll wait for you".

Charlotte gave him a tiny nod;

"aye, sir". She whispered, "see you soon".

Winters gave her forehead a quick kiss;

"love you, Lottie".

Charlotte's eyes closed again;

"love you". She whispered.

She was carried away into an operating room.

Leaving Winters outside to worry.

Running a hand down his face, he let out a shaky sigh.

"Major Winters?"

Turning to the voice, Winters walked over to Speirs and Roe.

"They've found him". He told the Captain, "he's back at the farm".

"He got Sargent Gallagher too?" Speirs asked.

Winters nodded;

"he did". He whispered, "in the back".

Winters eyes moved into a room, where a few patients were left sleeping in their beds.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he asked Speirs;

"Grant?"

"He'll live". Speirs replied, "he's out of surgery".

Winters frowned;

"which room?"

Speirs nodded to the room where the sleeping patients were;

"in there". He told him, "it's 'gonna be a long recovery but Grant will pull through". Speirs then added, "as will Lottie. They're both too damn stubborn".

And while Charlotte was inside the operating theatre, Winters sat by Grant's bed.

And he prayed for both of them.


	54. Chapter 53

_ "Hey, tyke". _

_ "Moe?" _

_ "What are you doing here?" _

"Moe?"

"Lottie?"

Charlotte could hear faint noises from around her.

The sound of footsteps, men coughing.

The opening and closing of the door.

And of course, Winters voice;

"you awake, buddy?"

His hand went on her arm.

Charlotte let out a tiny moan;

"I'm tired".

A small smile reached his lips;

"really? You've been asleep for almost a day".

Charlotte's eyebrows twitched;

"how am I still tired then?"

"It's the medicine". He told her quietly, "you've been in and out of sleep for a few hours now".

She sighed softly;

"well…am awake now".

Winters gave her arm a gentle squeeze;

"I'm glad".

Licking her dry and chapped lips, Charlotte soon opened her eyes.

It wasn't extremely bright.

But after being asleep for so long, the dim light above her stung a little.

Charlotte closed her eyes again;

"aye…that's not happening the now".

Winters felt his shoulder drop in relief.

The worst was over.

Charlotte was alive and she was talking.

Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Grant, who was still sleeping soundly.

When he looked back at Charlotte, her eyes were open again.

Her lips twitched;

"hi, sir". She whispered, raising her left hand and giving him a tiny wave.

Winters huffed out a small laugh;

"morning, trooper".

Charlotte's left hand dropped to her side.

"I did okay?"

"You did brilliantly". Winters corrected softly, "you did so good in there, Lottie".

She gave a little nod;

"that's grand, sir".

He smiled;

"it is – can I get you anything?"

"Water maybe?"

"Alright". Winters said, "take it easy with the water, alright? Your body didn't react well last time after getting put to sleep".

Giving the man a tiny smile, she nodded;

"I will, sir".

Winters squeezed her arm one last time before he got up and left the wing.

Charlotte's smile left her face.

Her eyes moved towards her legs.

She couldn't feel them.

Which meant, she couldn't move them.

Charlotte felt a sense of disappointment and a sense of loss.

Similar feelings to grief. Her eyes stung with tears. She just wanted to feel them again. Blinking a few times, her head turned to the bed next to her. And her face dropped;

"Chuck?" She whispered.

Panicking now, Charlotte took off all the wires and tubes, which were buried under her skin. She rolled off the bed, landing on her stomach. Using her arms, she managed to slowly and weakly drag herself towards her friend;

"Chuck?" She called out again, "hey, wake up, man".

The door to their wing opened and Winters appeared.

Dropping the cup of water, he called out into the corridor;

"I need a nurse!"

Charlotte looked over at him, shaking her head;

"it's fine, sir".

Winters jogged over to the girl.

She had ripped out her fluid bags, her catheter, plasma and pools of liquid and spots of blood gathered below her, making a trail towards Grant's bed. Winters, not knowing whether to feel angry, concerned, or understanding, picked Charlotte up.

"Don't do that again". He told her off, voice barely firm.

Placing her back into bed, two nurses arrived on sight.

One of them cursed in German, while the other approached Charlotte.

"I hope you don't cause me too much trouble". She told her, with a stern look, "do not remove these – especially these".

And Charlotte did feel a little bad for causing a scene.

She should have realised she was hooked up to so much.

Sending Winters an apologetic frown, Charlotte asked him;

"what happened to Chuck?"

Frowning, he placed his hand on her shoulder;

"the replacement who shot you, shot Chuck in the head first".

Her eyes widened;

"the head?" Charlotte whispered, "is he…is he-"

"he's okay". Winters assured her, "he's got a long recovery ahead of him, but he'll get through it".

The nicer nurse, injected Charlotte with more morphine once she cleaned up the floor;

"you will drink water". She instructed Charlotte, "then we will try and eat, ja?"

"Sure". Charlotte mumbled.

The nurse then brought out a tiny pin.

Moving to the edge of the bed, she pulled back Charlotte's blankets, revealing her legs.

Charlotte watched, while the nurse stuck the sharp pin into her toe.

"You feel?" The nurse asked.

"No". Charlotte whispered. "I don't feel anything below my waist". She said, "not even my arse. It feels like I'm sitting on air, nurse".

The nurse covered Charlotte's legs back up;

"there is time". She said, "we will try therapy".

Charlotte pulled a face;

"I don't need to be sharing my feelings".

Winters gave Charlotte's shoulder a squeeze;

"she means physical therapy, Lottie". He explained, "to help with the damage in your spine".

She frowned and looked up at him;

"the bullet hit my spine?"

Winters nodded;

"yeah". He whispered, "Lottie, the chances….". Winters sighed, "you have a small chance of walking again. But there is still a chance".

Charlotte knew that was going to be the case.

But it didn't make it hurt any less.

**…**

Charlotte suffered from extreme back pain every day.

The nurses kept on giving her morphine, but the side effects made her tired and she slept most of the day. She would end up screaming in the wing. It got so bad one day, that she ended up falling out of the bed. Charlotte landed on her back and the doctor put her to sleep, just to calm her down.

She missed most of her visits, due to her being asleep.

Charlotte had a lot of visitors.

And whenever she woke up, there was a new bunch of flowers by her bed, another packet of cigarettes or a box of chocolates. One day she woke up with a teddy tucked under her arm. She didn't know who gave it to her, but Charlotte kept the teddy by her side at all times.

Though Grant wasn't awake, Charlotte felt comforted by her friend's presence.

Every day she woke up and hoped Grant would do the same.

But he never did.

When Charlotte wasn't sleeping, she was in pain.

And if she wasn't in pain, then she wasn't feeling well.

Charlotte blamed being inside the hospital for feeling under the weather.

The smell was getting to her. And seeing all the sick and wounded patients. There was a woman in the bed next to her, who wouldn't stop puking her guts up. If she wasn't puking, then she was in the bathroom. Whatever she had; it didn't look nice.

When the woman rushed to the toilets for the fifth time that day, Charlotte looked over at Grant.

"Chuck". She whispered, "wish I was asleep like you, man".

The nice nurse soon came into the ward.

Holding a few more sick bowls, she placed them by the vomiting woman's bed first, before walking over to Charlotte. She had a thermometer. Charlotte was always glad that Grant was asleep whenever they checked her temperate.

The nurse rolled her onto her side, pulled up Charlotte's knees and stuck the thermometer in.

Charlotte couldn't feel it.

Bringing the thermometer out, the nurse placed Charlotte back to her lying position.

She gave the device a shake, before checking it.

The nurse sighed;

"fever".

Charlotte nodded; she already knew that.

"You need more fluids and medicine". The nurse said.

Charlotte pulled a face;

"I hate the medicine".

"I don't care". The nurse placed another blanket over Charlotte's shivering body, "you will take it, if you want to feel better".

"I want to go home".

The nurse frowned;

"you tell me that every day". She said, "and you will, when you are better".

Charlotte frowned;

"where's Major Winters? I want to see him".

"Hush". The nurse soothed Charlotte, "I will bring you water and medicine. Then, you will sleep after vegetable soup".

When the nurse left Charlotte's wing, the puking woman returned.

She got back into her bed and grabbed a new sick bowl.

Charlotte looked at her;

"feeling any better?"

The woman shook her head;

"no".

Charlotte sighed and looked away from her;

"me neither".

**…**

After another dose of morphine, Charlotte had fallen asleep.

And when her eyes opened next, it was dark.

Charlotte's heart had woken her up.

It was beating fast, as if she had just run up Currahee ten times. Or was about to head into an attack. Hand going onto her heart, she gasped;

"fuck". She whispered, "fuck – help!"

Charlotte thought she was about to have a heart attack.

"Shit – help me!"

She yelled again, wishing that someone would come in and stop her heart from bursting out from her chest. The nurses on call ran to her aid. After checking her pulse, they soon called for a doctor. Charlotte was sitting up, with the help from one of the nurses. Tears were running down her cheeks, out of pure fear. And it was even more scary, when she had no idea what the nurses or the doctor was saying at first.

Feeling a sharp prick, Charlotte looked down and saw a nurse drawing blood from the veins in her arm.

Things were blurry.

Her heart was beating too quickly.

And her body didn't know how to respond to that.

Her fever was high, and her body was busy trying to fight off whatever was causing the fever. But the doctor looked a little confused. It was the last thing Charlotte saw before her body stiffened and jerked in quick and frightening movements. She was biting down on her tongue, though, not aware of the pain or blood in her mouth. Nurses rolled her onto her side, while they waited until this moment passed.

It didn't last long.

And when it ended, Charlotte felt confused and sore.

Feeling more miserable than ever, she spat the blood out from her mouth.

The nurse wiped the rest away with a tissue.

"Call him". Charlotte weakly begged, "please?"

The nurse looked at the doctor, who stared back confused;

"who?" He asked.

"The Battalion Commander". She told the doctor quietly, "he lives in Zell am See hotel".

Clearing his throat, the doctor gave one of the nurses a nod.

While she went off to fetch the Major, the doctor placed a cool hand on her forehead.

He frowned;

"I have to run some tests". He said under his breath, "this is…serious".

The nurse smoothed back Charlotte's sweety forehead;

"hush now…Winters is coming".

Carefully, the nurse and doctor laid Charlotte back down on the bed.

"Try and lower her fever". The doctor ordered, "medicine, cool water. Ja?"

"Yes". The nurse complied, "right away, doctor".

The nurse had to get her fever down.

She knew this was bad. Perhaps deadly.

Leaving Charlotte's side, she went off to fetch medicine and a cool cloth.

**…**

Standing outside of the grand hotel, the nurse pulled the doorbell.

It rang loudly.

And the hall light turned on.

Taking a step back, a man soon answered.

He looked half asleep.

"Yup?" He mumbled.

"Major Winters, I must see him".

Rubbing his eyes, the young officer looked her up and down.

"Who are you?"

"I am the nurse from the hospital". She told him, "Charlotte must see Major Winters".

Nodding, the officer quickly invited her inside.

"I'll wake him up". He told her, already heading for the stairs, "I won't be long".

Lieutenant Cowell raced up the stairs and headed for the Major's door.

Not even knocking, he entered the bedroom and turned on the light;

"sir". He called out, with a hint of urgency.

Being used to waking up so suddenly, Winters eyes snapped open.

Sitting up, he looked over at Cowell;

"what is it, son?"

"It's Sargent Gallagher, sir". He told him, "she needs you".

Winters quickly got out of bed and pulled up his trousers, while shoving on his jacket and boots. Running a hand through his hair, he left his bedroom and ran down the stairs. The nurse was still standing by the door, watching him anxiously.

"What happened?" Winters asked her.

The pair of them left the hotel, while she told him;

"she is not well, Major". She said, "she had a…a seizure, Major".

Winters frowned;

"what?" He whispered, while heading towards his jeep.

The nurse followed after him;

"her heart beats too fast…her fever is too high". She explained, "her body…didn't know what else to do, Major".

Getting into the jeep, he started the engine.

"Why is she unwell, nurse?" Winters demanded.

Slamming his foot down on the gas, the jeep took off down the road.

The nurse shook her head;

"we are not sure". She replied softly, "the doctor will run tests".

Winters sped through the town and reached the hospital in under eight minutes.

Stopping outside, he jumped down from the jeep and raced into the hospital.

His boots slammed against the ground, echoing down the corridor.

When he reached Charlotte's wing, he pulled the door open.

It slammed gently behind him.

The nurse tending to Charlotte looked his way.

A tiny smile reached her lips;

"she sleeps".

Winters walked towards his troopers' bed.

Charlotte was in a deep sleep.

Hands locked around the teddy, she breathed evenly and deeply.

Winters felt his shoulders drop in relief.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, he took her hand.

The nurse smiled at him;

"you are a good man, Major Winters".

Biting on his lip briefly, he told her;

"she's family. And I'll always be there when she needs me".

While tears reached her eyes, the nurse placed the cold and wet cloth into Winters hands;

"place it over her forehead". She instructed softly, "there is one behind her neck".

Winters gently sat the cloth on Charlotte's warm forehead.

The nurse placed a quiet hand on the Major's arm;

"she is very homesick".

Winters nodded a little;

"I know". He whispered.

"She asks…for you, always".

Sighing shakily, Winters leaned towards Charlotte;

"I'm here, Lottie".

Charlotte let out a tiny and soft noise.

The Major felt his lips twitch;

"you gave me quite the scare, buddy".

The nurse told him;

"you sleep here too?"

Winters nodded;

"I'll take the chair, nurse. Thank you".

The nurse placed on Charlotte's little oil lamp, which sat on the table beside her bed. She kept it on for her all night, for it seemed to calm Charlotte down. Getting up from the bed, she then told him;

"shout me if anything changes, Major".

Winters nodded;

"I will, nurse".

Before leaving the wing, the nurse turned off the main light and left.

Winters quietly tended to Charlotte.

She was still fast asleep, which was probably for the best.

Soon, a noise from behind him reached his ears.

Winters sharply turned around.

Grant groaned again.

Eyes widening, he got onto his feet and made his way towards the Sargent's bed;

"Chuck?" He called out.

Grant's eyes were open.

He was staring back at Winters.

"Hey, trooper". Winters greeted, "can you hear me?"

Grant blinked a few times, though didn't respond.

"Stay awake". The Major told him, "I'm getting some help".

Grant was awake.

He was aware of his surroundings and could follow the light from the doctor's torch.

However, he couldn't speak.

And he couldn't feel his left arm.

While Winters and the doctor stood around Grant's bed, Charlotte chose that exact moment to wake up. Slowly, her glassy eyes looked towards Grant's bed, just out of habit. She could see his eyes staring back at her.

Grant's lips twitched.

As did Charlotte's.

Reaching out for his hand, Grant did the same with his right hand.

Their fingers couldn't touch each other.

Charlotte sighed quietly.

"Still up for that drink, man?" She croaked.

Grant's eyes lightened.

His lips twitched again.

Charlotte huffed out a tiny laugh;

"same". She mumbled.

She then added;

"glad you're awake". She said, "been waiting for you, pal".

Grant's jaw moved and his lips parted.

He was trying to speak.

But he couldn't.

Charlotte could see him getting frustrated;

"come on, pal". She whispered, "you're still 'gonna catch all the birds".

While a tear rolled down his cheek, Grant's lips formed a tiny smile.

Winters turned around and faced her.

Giving her a warm smile, he sat on the edge of her bed;

"how're you feeling?"

Charlotte sighed quietly;

"bad". She croaked.

Frowning, Winters placed his hand on her forehead.

"You're still warm". He mumbled.

The doctor was soon standing at the foot of her bed;

"I have a theory". He announced to the pair of them.

Winters look his way;

"what is it?" He asked.

Taking off his glasses, the doctor told him;

"perhaps…Charlotte had blood poisoning. Which left untreated, can turn into sepsis".

Winters felt his face drop;

"she has sepsis?"

The doctor nodded;

"I believe it to be true". He whispered, while staring at the girl. "I will and fix her, Major. And if I cannot…then we will make her as comfortable as possible".


	55. Chapter 54

Shaking and trembling with fever again, the nurse sat on the edge of Charlotte's bed and tried her best to lower her temperature. There was so denying it, Charlotte had sepsis. Her chances of surviving were halved and when each day ended, her chances dropped again. Half the time, Charlotte was too out of it to notice anything. Her temperature would get so high, that she'd often see things that weren't there. And if she wasn't suffering from a fever, then she was in an enormous amount of pain.

It was hard for Charlotte, to carry on fighting.

Sometimes, she didn't see the point.

She asked herself over again; "what do I have to live for?"

Grant made things more bearable.

Though he couldn't talk, he could walk over to Charlotte.

He'd end up falling asleep next to her.

Grant was always getting into trouble for doing that, but the nurses didn't have the heart to separate them. And they eventually stopped telling Grant off, knowing Charlotte was probably afraid and miserable.

She'd wake up screaming some nights.

Grant would rush to her side and gather his friend up into his arms.

Charlotte would be shaking from fever, pain and terror.

"This is it…this is it…". She'd cry out weakly, thinking she was slipping away.

But Grant refused to let go and would only hold her tighter.

Winters and Martin paid them a visit one morning. Only to find Grant fast asleep with Charlotte, in her bed. It was nice that they had each other but neither of them deserved to be in a hospital, not when the war in Europe had ended. They should have been back with Easy and training with their friends. But that wasn't the case. Grant had to learn how to talk again, while Charlotte fought for her life.

But they had each other.

And that's what put Martin's mind at ease most night.

Still, it was hard for the Sargent to see his two pals so sick.

His eyes would well up and he'd end up crying.

Winters placed a hand on the Sargent's shoulder.

Together, they walked towards their two friends sleeping on the bed.

"Last I saw her". Martin whispered in the quiet ward, "she was…she was upset over something".

Winters frowned a little;

"what upset her?"

Martin sighed;

"she thought you was leaving, sir". He mumbled, "she felt a little lost, I suppose".

Winters frowned deepened;

"I was meant to stay for a reason". He whispered.

The Sargent nodded;

"yeah, for Lottie, sir".

"Yeah". Winters said, "but for the rest of you too".

The Major's hand went back on Martin's shoulder.

Martin sighed shakily;

"Bill's threatening to come over here". He said, "he said he's 'gonna kick Lottie's ass back in shape and get her fighting off this infection quicker".

Winters huffed softly;

"sure sounds like Wild Bill, huh?"

Martin swallowed back the lump in his throat;

"am I 'gonna lose her, sir?"

Winters shook his head;

"no". He replied, sounding confident. "We're not 'gonna lose our girl".

A small moan came from the bed.

The two men looked towards their friends.

Grant's eyes opened and he looked at Charlotte.

She let out another weak moan, before her body locked up.

Charlotte started to convulse, before her arms and head jerked and spasmed.

Grant carefully rolled Charlotte onto her side and kept her mouth open, so she didn't bite her tongue. Winters was soon on her other side, his hand going on her shoulder;

"we're here, it's okay". He murmured, "Johnny, get the nurse".

Martin's eyes were wide, while he stared at his friend;

"what…what's happening to her?" He asked, sounding terrified.

The Major gave him a sharp nod;

"now, soldier". He ordered, "get the nurse".

Turning around, Martin rushed out of the ward and screamed for help; convinced his friend was about to die. But Charlotte's seizures only ever lasted under a minute. And like always, she was confused and tired when it ended. Still, on her side, she let out a soft groan;

"happened?" She mumbled weakly.

"You're okay, trooper". Winters assured her.

One of Charlotte's eyes opened.

She could see Winters face in front of her.

Reaching out, her hand went on his arm;

"s'okay, sir". She said, voice slurring, "just need to sleep, eh?"

Charlotte's fever was too high once again.

The nurse was back with more medicine and a wet cloth.

Whatever the doctor was giving her, didn't seem to be working. And the man was aware of that now. He was angry at himself for wasting time. The doctor stormed out of the room and went back to figuring out what else might work for Charlotte. They had a new problem; Charlotte's catheter bag was practically empty now. The penicillin wasn't working. And the doctor knew it was only a matter of time for Charlotte.

**…**

When Heffron and Webster came to visit her, Charlotte felt too weak to talk.

Though, she did manage to crack the smallest of smiles.

Because her squad had come by to see her.

And memories of her life back in England, drinking warm beer in the pub, melted her heart. It seemed like a lifetime ago, while she remembered those days. Those days of being stupid, young and drunk. Charlotte spent the majority of her time laughing with Grant, Guarnere, Martin and Heffron down at the pub.

Giving Heffron a tiny nod, she placed her hand on her arm;

"roll-up…the sleeve?" She croaked.

Silently, Heffron walked over to her old squad leader and rolled up her sleeve.

There, they both saw her Goofy tattoo.

They both let out choked laughs.

Charlotte huffed softly;

"don't…don't regret that, man".

Heffron took her hand, while tears blinded his vision;

"Lottie, please". He choked out, "don't go, huh? You promised Bill that drink, remember? You've 'gotta hold on".

Closing her eyes, Charlotte felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"I don't…'wanna go, Babe". She mumbled, "I'm scared".

Sniffing, Heffron leaned down and kissed the top of Charlotte's head;

"good". He whispered, voice breaking. "Cause you ain't going nowhere. The only place you're going, is back home, with Winters".

"Babe's right". Webster added quietly, "you're going home, Lottie".

Charlotte wanted to go home.

She wanted that life in Lancaster with Winters.

A nine till five job, four dogs and a nice house to look after.

It's what every soldier deserved, a happy ending.

The sickness happened shortly after her two friends left. Charlotte was projectile vomiting, while her body tried to get rid of the poison inside of her. It did nothing to help, it only made her weaker. And when she was finished, Charlotte couldn't turn her head to look at Grant. All she could do was close her eyes and listen to the nurses clean up the mess.

Grant was watching her closely.

Opening his mouth, he managed to croak out;

"Lottie".

Opening one eye, Charlotte slowly turned her head to the side.

Her lips twitched slightly;

"you spoke". She said, voice hoarse and weak.

With a tiny smile still on her face, Charlotte closed her eyes again.

And drifted off.

**…**

When her eyes opened hours later, she saw Winters and Nixon by the door.

With a special present for Charlotte.

Her eyes lightened slightly, when she spotted a German Shephard dog by Nixon's leg.

Licking her dry and cracked lips, Charlotte gave a little whistle.

The dogs head perked up.

He turned to look at the girl and soon padded towards her.

Sitting down at the side of her bed, he stuck out his tongue and panted happily.

Charlotte placed her arm over the bed, where the dog soon began to lick her hand.

And while Charlotte gave the dog some attention, the doctor gave Nixon and Winters the bad news. News, which everyone had been dreading to hear.

"The penicillin will not work". He told them lowly, "she doesn't have long".

Winters took in a sharp and quiet breath.

Feeling his lip tremble slightly, Winters cleared his throat.

"We will make her comfortable". The doctor went on, "I will give her a lot of pain relief and hopefully, she'll slip away in her sleep".

Shaking his head, the Major whispered;

"I don't want her too".

Nixon frowned, while his eyes stared down at his boots.

"She's…she's just a kid". Winters added, voice almost breaking. "Isn't there anything else, doc? Don't we have anything else we can try?"

The doctor sighed;

"I haven't taken her off the penicillin. Perhaps I will try more IV fluids. There is a type of fluid that is still very limited". He told them, "I could try and find a supplier".

"I'll get it". Winters told him, "wherever it is, I'll get it, doc".

"Surgery might be another option". The doctor then added, "if the infection comes from an abscess within the body, I might be able to stop it spreading to her organs".

Nixon's head jerked up;

"can she take another operation?"

The doctor licked his bottom lip, before saying;

"once I get the fluids. I will perform the operation and remove the infection. It may not remove all of it, but with the fluids and the penicillin, Charlotte might still have a chance".

She had a chance again.

Winters could hold onto that.

But Charlotte didn't look convinced.

After the Major and Nixon explained the doctor's plan of action, Charlotte didn't look happy. She looked tired, depressed and sick. And she didn't want to hear any more false hope. Shoulders dropping, Charlotte gently petted the dogs head, who soon had his head on her lap.

Her eyes then moved up to meet Winters stare.

She could see the hope shining.

Winters had every bit of confidence, that Charlotte would live.

Even Nixon looked hopeful.

And then she thought of Guarnere.

Her heart twitched.

As did her gut.

Guarnere would never let her quit.

"I miss him". She whispered.

Winters placed a hand on her shoulder;

"who, trooper?"

"Bill". She croaked, "the…the Hardy…to my Laurel".

"You'll see him again".

Charlotte's bottom lip quivered;

"I'm scared". She mumbled thickly, "what if…if I miss everyone when I die?"

A tear rolled down her cheek;

"I already…miss everyone".

Frowning deeply, Winters kissed the top of her head;

"you're going to see him again". He whispered, "I promise. This is going to work".

Charlotte blinked heavily.

She could see Winters blurry face.

"Will you…be there?" Charlotte whispered.

"I'm not leaving your side".

**…**

With the fluid running through her body, Charlotte was getting prepped for surgery.

Winters was lying next to her, his arm around her shoulders.

He had the oxygen mask placed over her nose and mouth and held it in place for her.

The nurses had changed Charlotte, bathed her and made sure she was doing okay. Of course, the girl was scared. Frightened she wouldn't wake up this time. But the doctor gave her confidence, which Charlotte lacked.

With his free hand, Winters rubbed circles on Charlotte's shoulder.

He was telling her a story from back home.

The ward was quiet that morning.

Grant was fast asleep, and the patients were in the dayroom, getting breakfast and coffee.

Charlotte leaned against Winter's side heavily.

She was already falling asleep, without the drugs to put her to sleep.

Winters had calmed her nervous heart, with his childhood story.

Apparently, Winters had a great imagination as a child. He had his own "cows" to herd. He even gave them all names. Of course, the cows were only sticks. But in his eyes, they were the real deal.

His eyes moved towards the teddy, which was tucked in beside Charlotte.

"What'd you call the bear, Lottie?"

Taking in a deep breath first, she replied;

"Scottie".

He smiled small;

"I like that name…Scottie".

Charlotte hummed;

"aye…I'm a pure…genius".

Winters felt his eyes well up with tears.

He gave his head a little nod;

"yeah, you are, huh?"

Charlotte's arm went around his waist;

"you are…the best thing that's ever…happened to me". She told him, "when I lost dad…you made me feel…complete".

Winters felt a tear roll down his cheek.

Charlotte took in another deep and heavy breath;

"I…admire…and look up to you…you turned me into a solider…and gave me chances…and let me fight alongside…the best men ever".

Exhaling shakily, she added;

"I will miss you…I hope…I hope I see you again, sir".

Winters was lost in her words.

He didn't even hear the nurse approach the bed.

Until she cleared her throat.

Lifting his head, he didn't bother to wipe his tear away.

The nurse gave him a sad and soft smile;

"it's time, Major Winters".

Giving the nurse a tiny nod, Winters looked back down at Charlotte.

It could well be his last goodbye to her.

But he didn't want to believe that.

The nurse took the breaks off the bed.

Winters licked his bottom lip;

"can you…can you wait a minute? Give us – a moment, please?"

The nurse frowned;

"it must be now, Major". She apologised, "I'm sorry".

Sighing shakily, Winters swallowed back the swell of emotions.

Giving Charlotte's head a gentle kiss, he told her;

"I love you". He whispered, "I'll see you back here soon".

Charlotte opened one eye to look at him;

"love you". She mumbled.

Grabbing her teddy, Winters got off the bed.

The nurse gave him another kind smile, before she wheeled Charlotte towards the doors.

And Winters was left standing there.

In the complete unknown.

**…**

_Walking towards a familiar door, someone opened it for her. _

_ Stepping inside the pub, which was warmed by a blazing fire. _

_ She could see the smoke coming out from the barrels, where the barman made the hot beer with a red poker. And only a few men were gathered in the pub that evening. Before Charlotte arrived, they had been drinking quietly, with little to no expression on their faces. But once the doors closed, the men turned and looked her way. _

_ They started to smile at her. _

_ And Charlotte smiled back at them. _

_ Elmar Murray placed a hand into hers. _

_ Charlotte felt a spark of warmth hit her heart. _

_ She looked up at him, feeling her eyes swim with unleashed tears. _

_ And soon, someone else took her hand. _

_ It was Jackson. _

_ Together, her two friends led Charlotte through the pub. _

_ The bartender gave her a little wave and a friendly wink. _

_ And leaning against that bar, holding up their glasses, were Muck, Dukeman, Penkala and Hoobler. _

_ Charlotte let out a silent laugh. _

_ Facing the front, they soon stopped. _

_ Standing in front of her, Jim Campbell placed a gentle kiss on her forehead._

_ And when he moved out of the way, Charlotte could see light eyes staring back at her. _

_ With dark hair, a freckled nose and spectacles. Irena gave Charlotte the most beautiful smile, she had ever seen in her whole life. She looked like an angel, standing below a ceiling light, which shone down on her like the heavens had opened on Irena. _

_ Letting go of her friend's hands, she quickly stepped towards Irena. _

_ Placing her hands on the side of Irena's face, Charlotte brought their lips together. _

_ She had waited years to kiss her again. _

_ Irena wrapped her arms around Charlotte's neck, kissing her back. _

_ No words were exchanged. _

_ They held each other tightly, never letting go. _

_ Charlotte didn't want to let her go again. _


	56. Epilogue

On the 2nd of September 1945, the war ended.

The Japanese army surrendered, and the boys went home.

Families and loved ones were reunited with soldiers from all across the country. And the celebrations continued when each man returned. Most nights, the veterans were drunk. And if they had wives, they'd turn up back home, stinking drunk, to a very pissed off wife. It was a great time to be alive and celebrate the end of a horrific war. Men came home to children they hadn't met, they got married, they found new sweethearts. Music was always playing, the veterans let loose on the dancefloor to swing music. The cities never slept.

But underneath all that, they each had a scar from the war.

Some more visible to others.

Some scars were deep in the souls of many.

But for Bill Guarnere, his battle scar was visible for the whole world to see.

Sitting at the table, with a cold drink, his crutch leaned against his chair.

On the chair next to him was Martin and on his side, it was Heffron.

Just like they had promised, the three of them had a drink together.

However, they were missing two very important people.

The table was quiet.

The three friends tried to talk about anything.

Well, anything except the war.

No one talked about the war.

Martin went on about his wife, Guarnere told his friends about his wedding and Heffron spoke about his job and a girl he was dating. They talked, as if their life had been normal all along. Like they hadn't dropped into Normandy, sat in the constant rain in Holland or almost froze to death in Bastogne. According to Heffron, it was best not to talk about the war.

And the three of them agreed, to never bring it up.

It was 1946, they were heading into September.

Guarnere had an idea to set up an Easy Company reunion.

His wife, Frannie, was going to help him.

And Guarnere was excited to see his old buddies again.

Eyes lingering towards the empty seat, Guarnere felt his gut twist.

Running a hand down his face, he grabbed his whiskey.

Martin cleared his throat;

"Pat's pregnant".

"Get out of here…". Heffron grinned, "really?"

Martin smiled and nodded;

"yeah…I'm 'gonna be a dad".

"Good luck, Johnny". Guarnere smirked, "Eugene's great and all but damn…he sure knows how to scream the house down".

Heffron shrugged;

"you'll do fine, Johnny". He said lightly, "I 'wanna be a dad someday too".

"Well, what 'bout this broad your seeing?" Guarnere asked him, "what's she like?"

"Okay".

Martin raised an eyebrow;

"just okay?"

Heffron shrugged;

"I mean…she's okay, huh? But she sure likes to complain a lot".

"That's cause you don't got a decent suit". Guarnere pointed out, "come see my pop, huh? He'll sort you out".

Heffron sighed, "Bill, I don't need a damn tailor".

"Yes, you do, you stupid mick". He grunted, "look, you'll get a special buddy discount, huh? Pop will give you a good price".

Heffron sighed again;

"I'm still trying to pay off the damn phone bill".

Guarnere smirked;

"then quit calling me".

Heffron laughed;

"you always got something to say, Bill-"

"me?! You never shut the hell up and let me speak!"

Martin soon shut his friends up;

"fellas – quiet, huh?"

"What? We disturbing your genius thoughts, Johnny?" Heffron teased.

Shaking his head, a smile soon reached his lips;

"nope. Look at this, fellas".

Following his stare.

The four of them watched, while Grant walked into the pub.

He gave his three friends a smile;

"hey, fellas!" He called.

A few men were standing in his way.

Grant cleared his throat;

"I've 'gotta get passed, guys".

When the men cleared a space, Grant pushed his way through the gap.

And smiling, while being pushed in her wheelchair by Grant.

Was Charlotte.

"Alright there, lads?" She greeted, "how's it going?"

A spell of silence fell over the five of them.

And the smiles soon softened.

Just like they had said, they all met up for a drink after the war.

Guarnere was paying.

Because like they had all hoped;

They were home.


	57. AN

Thanks for reading this story! It got a little flat and I apologise. So, I'll work hard and do a better job next time. Because believe me, there will be another one. If anyone has anything they'd like to see in my next story, leave a little suggestion and I'll fit it in. Anyway, thanks again for sticking with this story. And again, I'm sorry. The next one will be better haha


	58. another AN

So, I didn't want to start another long story again without telling you all first, that it might seem a little similar to "what next". But, I'm hoping this OC is still interesting to everyone. I started writing this story a while back and it's been in my head for months now. I'm going to put in more effort with this story and I hope it doesn't flop like the last. This is probably pretty pointless to write haha But I just felt like I let myself down with my last story. Anyway, I'll have the prologue out soon. I really hope this will be different. Thanks again for sticking around and reading :)


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